Never Doubt I Love
by ThatHPFan
Summary: Link and Pipit have been best friends for years, but a messy breakup and an unexpected admission bring their relationship to the next level, and no relationship is complete without a dose of drama. SLASH. Features Link, Pipit, Zelda, Fledge, Keet, and Groose, and a cast of other characters. M for language and sexual situations.
1. Things Left Unsaid

Disclaimer: I am in no way claiming ownership over the Legend of Zelda franchise or making money with this story. No copyright infringement is intended.

Author's Note: This story has been in production since May of 2014, and is fully completed (with only minor edits to be made). It runs eleven chapters and will be approximately 40k words. It contains scenes of sexual activity, mature language, and one minor mention of a potential trigger topic (this chapter will have a separate warning).

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"_Much happiness has come into the world because of bewilderment and things left unsaid."_ – Fyodor Dostoyevsky

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Link was very, very late.

The realization hit him all at once. His eyes suddenly flew open, and he tore himself from his bed with such ferocity that he collided with his desk chair, sending them both hurtling to the ground. His elbow slammed onto the floor with a loud c_rack_, and he clenched his teeth at the pain, fighting to keep the tears out of his eyes. He gave the chair a healthy kick before righting himself.

He typically awoke to darkness, but sunlight was streaming in through his window. He wrenched open the doors of his closet, hastily pulling on a pair of woolen trousers and a sweater. Fortunately, he had packed his bag the night before, and so was simply able to grab it on his way out the door.

The first day of school was always an exciting time, but he didn't like to think of his teacher's reaction at being late to his first class of the year. Link sprinted down the hallway until he reached the main doors and continued jogging past the other dorm buildings. The typically active campus was still, and his anxiety increased as the main Academy building came into view. He swung the door open as quietly as he could, but the noise still attracted the attention of several off-duty instructors, who scowled in his direction from the front desk.

After several minutes of traversing the massive schoolhouse, Link finally managed to find his classroom. He paused for a moment to still his shaking hand before knocking on the door. A very irate Professor Laymond answered. "Oh my, look who finally decided to show up."

"I'm so sorry, Sir. I overslept, and I promise it will never happen again."

"Yes, well you'd better see to it. Should this occur in the future, you will find yourself before Headmaster Gaepora. Do you understand me?" His tone was icy.

"Yes, Sir. Of course, Sir. Thank you, Sir."

Professor Laymond stepped to the side, allowing Link to enter the classroom. He immediately caught the eye of his best friend in the entire world. Zelda winked at him, attempting to repress laughter. She moved her bag from the empty desk beside her to the floor at her feet, indicating for him to join her. Link grinned and winked. He collapsed next to her, still shaking with anxiety.

"That's how you do it the Link way," he said, mocking his own mistake.

"More like the lazy way," Zelda commented wryly. "I came by your room this morning to make sure you were up but you didn't answer me, so I assumed you were gone."

Link frowned. "Maybe that's what woke me up. I'm not too late, am I? I don't actually know what time it is."

"No, class just started about ten minutes ago, although you did miss the entire orientation assembly." Link groaned, planting his face in his hands. "But it's not like we need it. We are finally seniors, after all!" she added gleefully.

"If Miss Zelda is quite finished!" Professor Laymond shouted.

Zelda looked down at her desk, blushing slightly. "I'm sorry, Sir. I was just informing Link of what he missed this morning."

Professor Laymond simply scowled more at this. "Yes, well I will be happy to inform him alongside you _in detention_ if the pair of you do not stop interrupting my class." The Professor went on to explain the course curriculum, and Link caught Zelda's eye with a great heave of silent laughter. He reached across to her desk and scribbled a note on the blank piece of parchment.

_Don't think anyone's managed to get a detention on the first day before._

Zelda narrowed her eyes at him playfully. _I did not get a detention! And besides, it's your fault._

Link grinned and winked, but quickly busied himself taking out his own parchment after catching Professor Laymond's eye. He was soon lulled into a heavy stupor by Laymond's drone of information regarding maths, his least favorite subject in school.

After what seemed like hours, a loud bell toll sounded across the campus, and students immediately rose and began hustling to escape the classroom. Zelda and Link walked to their next class and sat beside Piper, another member of their group of friends. Piper was a quiet, intelligent girl who had led a sheltered life, and her friends often defended her loyally from bullying.

She looked exceptionally relieved to see them. "Thank the Goddess, I thought I was going to have to sit her by myself like last class."

Link plopped down in the seat next to her. "Well, fortunately for you, I'm here to save the day!" Piper giggled, and Zelda rolled her eyes, taking the empty desk behind Link. Just as he began to launch into the story of how he had been late to class, his second closest friend behind Zelda walked through the door at the front of the room.

"Pipit!" Link yelled happily. He jumped up and enveloped his friend in a warm hug. Pipit had been gone for two weeks at a Knighthood Leadership Seminar, and Link had missed him every day. Link took a deep breath, filling his lungs with Pipit's familiar scent.

"Hey, Link."

Link frowned and stepped back, examining his friend more closely. "What's wrong?"

"It's nothing. Just having a bit of a fight with Karane is all." His cheerful face looked so inexplicably wrong to be so serious.

"A fight? You've just come back, what, last night, right? How can she already be angry at you?"

Pipit made his way over to the desk beside Zelda, and Link sat down in his own seat. Piper turned around, and all three friends listened as Pipit told them the tale.

"It's really my fault. It all started on the first day of the seminar. There were two seats left when I arrived in the lecture hall. One was next to Cawlin, that goony of Groose's. The other was beside Orielle – you know, that girl who graduated last year?" At the affirming nods of his friends, he continued. "Obviously I was going to choose her over Cawlin. Maybe, had I chosen him…" He trailed off for a moment before returning to the story.

"Well, the instructor told us that we would have to be presenting a sort of speech at the end of the seminar, and that we should incorporate as much of the course material as we could. She said that a select few of us would be selected for full scholarships to the Knighthood Training Facility. I noticed throughout the course of the lesson that Orielle was taking really good notes – far better than mine. So I stopped her after class and asked if I could meet her somewhere to study her notes.

"She agreed, and wrote her room number on a piece of paper. She told me I could come by whenever I wanted to study with her, and that she would help me with my speech if I needed her to."

At this point, Zelda interjected. "You didn't notice she was hitting on you?"

Pipit frowned. "Hold on. You don't know where I'm going with this." Zelda laughed derisively but allowed him to continue. "Anyway, I went by later that night to study with her, and she was very helpful. I continued to go back each night after, sometimes staying late so that I could get the most of her notes. We ended up working together for the entire seminar, and helped each other a lot with the final speech."

"Wait, I'm confused. What does this have to do with Karane?" Link asked.

"Oh, come on Link," Zelda said disparagingly, "Cawlin obviously saw the two of them getting together and assumed they were, well, _getting together_." She looked sharply at Pipit. "Right?"

Pipit nodded. "I guess he must have told Groose, because Karane was really angry at me as soon as I got, and I had no idea why. She thinks I was faking it though. She thinks I was hooking up with Orielle during the seminar."

As Pipit said this, the Professor entered the classroom, ending their conversation. This class, however, seemed to go by much faster than his previous class, and soon Link was packing up his belongings, anxious to return to his conversation with Pipit.

The four friends parted ways at the door, Zelda and Piper taking a left down the hallway to their next class, Link and Pipit heading in the opposite direction. "So. What are you going to do about Karane?"

Pipit shook his head. "I don't know. To be honest with you, being away from her for two weeks made me think about breaking up with her anyway. I realized how much happier I felt without having to worry about what she thought, and how much more freedom I felt because she wasn't constantly on my back. But there's a reasonable chance she'll break up with me now, which is probably better."

"Yeah, she might think you're breaking up with her for Orielle."

"Exactly, and I'm not. I don't even know Orielle that well – but, get this; Orielle lives about a minute's walk away from my house, and Karane lives like twenty minutes away. How perfect is that?"

"Can't you just get Orielle to talk to her?"

Pipit shook his head. "If she thought I was lying to her, then there's no way she'd believe Orielle. You should have her some of the things Karane said about her last night. She's really upset about this."

Their last lesson of the morning was Combat Skills with Knight Commander Eagus. Link was pretty handy with most combat weapons used by Knights, but he didn't have to even pick one up. They spent the lesson going over safety procedures necessary. Most of them, Link thought, were simply common sense. Don't point a loaded crossbow at anybody. Don't run with unsheathed swords. Don't play catch with the flail.

Link and Pipit spent the greater part of the class sitting at the back of the Sparring Hall, trying to look halfway interested. Link spent a lot of his free time here, training, and Pipit worked for the Night Patrol, so they were both familiar with most of what Eagus was saying.

The class couldn't end quickly enough, and when Eagus dismissed the class, Pipit and Link were the first out of the door on the way to lunch. After a few minutes, the pair arrived at the dining hall. Pipit stopped, seeing Karane sitting at their normal table. With her sat Zelda, Piper, and Fledge and Peatrice, the final two members of their typical group. Link could tell Pipit was deciding whether he should sit next to Karane.

After a moment, he sat down hesitantly beside her. She threw a disgusted glance in his general direction before sliding her chair as close to Piper's as she could. Link sat down in between Fledge and Zelda. There was a moment of uncomfortable silence before Zelda pointedly turned to Link and started a conversation. "So, Link, apparently many of the teachers think we're a thing."

This caught Link off guard. "You mean like… you and me. In a relationship?"

Zelda nodded. They both fought to keep straight faces for a moment before bursting out laughing, attracting glances from other tables. "I'm sorry, honey, but I don't think you're my type."

"You would be lucky to have a girlfriend like me!" she said, pretending to be offended.

"Yeah? Well I can think of a few things that need to be worked on."

"Like what?" she said with mock curiosity.

"You need to be more… a man." They locked eyes for another minute but couldn't hold back their laughter.

"More a man? That makes no sense! I think we need to see other people."

"Yeah, okay. You can have Fledge here, and I'll take Pipit."

"Oh no, I want Pipit for myself. You have Fledge!"

"What's wrong with Fledge?!"

"Good question. Why don't you want Fledge?"

"Because I want Pipit!"

"Well, that's too bad. Pipit likes girls, I'm a girl, so there we go."

"I hope we won't be forgetting that Pipit _has_ a girlfriend already." Karane slammed her drink onto the table, instilling a sudden quiet to fall over the table. She glared with more anger than Link had ever seen, not at Zelda, but at Pipit. He smiled weakly and tried to take her hand, but she jerked it away.

"I'm sure that they were just joking around. Right guys!" he finished pointedly. Link and Zelda both nodded profusely, not wanting Karane to turn her fury to either of them.

"Don't pull that on me!" Karane said hotly. "Moved on from Ostrich already have we? Decided you'd go for Zelda next? I'm impressed. It would take a lot of effort to keep that from me. You must like a challenge."

"Karane, please, you have to believe me when I say that I never did anything with Orielle. I will not deny that I went to her room almost every night during the seminar, but we were only preparing for the final."

"Yeah, how'd that turn out? Where's your scholarship? Obviously that study paid off."

"They aren't announcing the scholarships until December begins. It's September." Karane huffed and turned away from Pipit. "Karane, look at who you heard this from. Groose "let slip" that I had been "getting cozy" with Orielle at the seminar. He wasn't even there. And besides, how often does Groose talk about us? Probably never, unless he's in it for something."

"Pipit, nothing you say will convince me. I knew this would happen. I knew that if I let you go to that stupid seminar you'd come back with some college girl on your arm."

"Excuse me, but who says you let me go?"

"Oh, like you would have gone if I had said no."

"Actually, yes, I most definitely would have gone. The only person whose permission I needed was my mother, and she, unlike you, was able to appreciate the fantastic opportunity for what it was."

"So you're saying that you don't respect what I want for you."

"Karane, I love you, but I need a chance to be my own person. I can't do that if you're constantly trying to control how I live my life. Give me some freedom. You might learn to trust me more."

"Oh, okay, so I don't trust you enough. Oh, and the way to fix this is to give you _more_ freedom? How much sense does that make?"

Pipit stood up in anger. "The problem here isn't that you don't trust me, the problem is that you don't think I can handle myself as an adult. I promise that I didn't do anything with Orielle, and if you can't believe that then I think you need to think about it and try again. If you can't get past this then we're over. I'm sick of you, and I'm sick of having to deal with your attitude. Until you're willing to move past this, I don't want to talk to you."

Karane stared at Pipit with a glare so full of hatred that Link felt sorry for her. She let loose a single tear before she stood up and slapped Pipit square across the jaw. He surged forward for a moment as if to retaliate but then stopped himself.

Karane grabbed him by the collar and pulled his face within inches of her own. "You have no right to talk to me like that, and until you apologize, I don't want to talk to you either. In fact, I don't ever want to see you again." With that, she threw him down into his chair and ran out of the dining hall, sobbing into her hands.

Pipit watched her go, holding a hand to the red mark on his cheek. He turned back to the table. Link, who didn't know what to do with his eyes, had been examining a rather interesting vase on the table next to theirs. Zelda had been intently straightening the cuff of his sweater, and Fledge had been quietly trying to deduce the reason for the slightly uneven footing of his chair. Peatrice was the first to speak.

"Well, I'd better go talk to her. Great job, Pipit," she added icily.

She rose and walked out of the dining hall. Pipit looked around at the rest of them. "You guys don't think I was too mean, do you."

"No," started Fledge, "but you were a bit scary for a moment. I thought you were going to hit her after she slapped you."

"I could never hit anyone, especially a girl. Somebody would have to really piss me off for me to hit them."

Fledge didn't offer a response to this, and Pipit looked around desperately. "Link?"

"Well, from what you said earlier, you were at least justified in what you said. I would have maybe worked on the delivery a bit. You did say you were sick of her."

"I am sick of her," he grumbled.

"Right, but my point is that we don't scream to people's faces in the middle of the dining hall. Because of that, I think she was also justified in slapping you."

"Yeah, I won't hold that against her. I really just hope this means we're over."

Zelda gasped. "You mean you wanted to break up with her?"

"Yes, I was thinking about it a lot while I was at the seminar. I'll go try to talk to her later tonight to see if we can at least not hate each other for the rest of our lives."

There was a pause, and Link caught a glimpse of Groose several tables away, laughing amongst his goons and reenacting Karane's slap. "Looks like Groose got what he wanted though."

Zelda made a noise of disgust. "What Groose wants is to cause as much trouble as he can."

"Maybe he and Karane will date," Pipit mused, "After all, they're perfect for each other."

This led to other conversation, and before they knew it, lunch was over.

The day could not finish soon enough for Link, who spent most of his remaining classes worrying over what had transpired at their lunch table. It was easy for anyone to see that Karane hadn't been very supportive of Pipit, and it was also evident that she was obsessive about keeping track of his goings-on. Still, Link couldn't help but feel as though Pipit may have gone too far in the dining hall.

However, he was also angry at Karane. She was lucky to be dating one of the best knights-in-training that Skyloft had ever seen. Pipit was, by anyone's standards, a fantastic student, a wise warrior, and a fierce, fierce friend. He was exceptionally kind-hearted, and unceasingly generous. And both Link and Zelda knew that what they had said about Pipit was not a joke; most girls who met Pipit seemed to fall for him instantly. He was extremely attractive, and very easy to get along with. He was funny and charismatic, and mature well beyond his years.

Link reflected on this later that night as he sat on the rooftop of his dorm building. It was as he watched children chase after fireflies in the rising darkness that he heard a melodious sound. He listened harder and realized it was a man singing the famous _Ballad of the Goddess_. He rose into a crouch and made his way along the rooftop, moving towards the sound of the music.

He poked his head over the eaves and saw Pipit, standing at the edge of the island, staring off into the sky. The near-full moon shone bright light onto the clouds below, transforming into an ethereal bed of pearly mist. Link realized with a jolt that he had never heard his friend sing, but the sound was absolutely beautiful. He looked up at the stars and couldn't help but see the epic battle between Hylia and the demonic evil that plagued the lands below the clouds.

The song came to an end, and Link watched Pipit as he remained motionless, gazing into the night. Then, he picked up a lantern that had been resting on the ground beside him, lit it, and began walking back towards the dorm buildings. Link swung himself down from the eaves and landed beside Pipit.

"Oh, Link! You scared me!" Pipit stepped back in fright. Then he blushed. "Did you hear me singing?"

Link nodded. "You sound beautiful. I didn't know you could sing like that." Pipit blushed again but said nothing. "Did you talk to Karane?"

"Yes," Pipit said hesitantly. "I stopped by her dorm earlier. Peatrice tried to pretend she wasn't there, but I didn't buy it. She's pretty angry about this."

"What did you say to her?"

"Well, I started by apologizing for what I'd said to her. She told me how angry and embarrassed she was because I had made her look bad in front of her friends, and I apologized again. I think she was starting to maybe forgive me, but I told her that I'd been considering breaking up with her for a few weeks and she about lost it."

"What did she say?" Link asked, bewildered.

"Well, she got angry because she thinks I was treating our relationship like a joke. I told her that she was too worried about me all the time, and that I was getting tired of constantly answering to her. Then she said she wouldn't have to worry about me if I would act more trustworthy. Apparently I am not romantic enough, and I never make the first move. She said that my apathy towards our relationship meant I was in love with someone else."

At this, Pipit faltered and looked at his shoes. "You're not in love with somebody else, are you?" Link asked.

"Well – not exactly." There was a long moment of silence, in which Link waited expectantly.

"What do you mean?" Link finally asked.

"Link, I don't know how to tell you this, but it's been going through my head for a while. I – I think that I'm…" he sighed deeply, and Link noticed that his hands were shaking. Then, he straightened up and looked directly into Link's eyes. "I think that I'm gay."

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Author's Note: I hope you liked the first chapter! Please review and follow for more!


	2. Love We Deserve

Disclaimer: I am in no way claiming ownership over the Legend of Zelda franchise or making money with this story. No copyright infringement is intended.

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"_We accept the love we think we deserve."_ – Stephen Chbosky

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Link was nonplussed.

"Oh," he managed. He really had no idea how he was expected to respond to this revelation. Here was his best friend, Pipit, who he had known for years, saying that he was attracted to men. Pipit was an infamous womanizer, the smoothest of the smooth, the romantic who topped all romantics, with a voice as smooth as silk and sweet as honey. He was to women as Loftwings were to Skyloft, as swords were to battle, and as Hylia was to heaven itself. And he had just announced that he was gay.

"Yeah, I thought about it a lot while I was away at the seminar, but I've been a bit curious about it for a while now. I've just become so fed up with girls. The girls I dated before Karane started it, but I think it was really her that made me make up my mind."

He stopped, gazing at Link expectantly. Link didn't know how to react. He looked over Pipit, seeing him as he had never seen him before. Sure, Pipit was far from perfect, but he was just Link's type. He was not too tall, compact and toned, with short, messy hair. His bright blue eyes looked like the sky on a clear day, and his smile was a bit off-center. Still, Link couldn't help but notice his confident stance and the alluring manner in which he commanded the space he occupied.

"She wanted to have sex, you know…" Pipit murmured this, and Link tore his eyes away from his figure, sensing that this had been weighing heavily on his mind.

"What, Karane? Wanted to have sex with you?" Pipit nodded. "Gross."

At this, he laughed. "That's about what I said. She had just been so insufferable throughout the course of our relationship. But really, I had to face the fact that doing it with her just didn't do it for me, you know? I would think about it and try to feel _something_, but the thought was just so unappealing. She tried to force herself on me the night before I left for the seminar. I told her that I couldn't do it, and I think that's when she started to lose it."

"Well, don't let anyone force that kind of thing on you, Pipit. That is something that needs to be taken seriously."

There was a moment of total silence. Then, "Have you ever, Link?"

Link hesitated. "Ever what?" His mind was racing. He didn't know whether he should tell Pipit or not.

"You know…?" Pipit said vaguely.

Link found that tears had suddenly began to pool in his eyes had the memory he had worked so hard to repress. He knew that he needed to get away from Pipit, away from the gorgeous man in front of him. He needed to be alone with his thoughts so that he didn't have a total meltdown. "No, I – I have to go." He turned sharply and hurried back to his dorm.

Pipit followed, taking his arm and trying to pull him back. "Wait, Link, I'm sorry if I offended you!"

"No, Pipit!" he said sharply. Pipit stopped, startled at the sudden change in attitude. Link almost turned back to say something else, but then decided against it. He continued on, leaving Pipit standing at the edge of the open air, with his back to the light.

Link made his way to his dormitory, fighting to keep the tears out of his eyes. Memories were resurfacing, plaguing his senses with ghosts of the things that happened to him. Link threw himself onto his bed and wrapped himself in his sheets like a caterpillar. There, in the darkness, he let the tears flow freely. He gasped for breath, feeling as though he was being buried alive.

He didn't know how long he laid there, curled protectively with his hand firmly clasped around his knees. Eventually, he heard somebody come in, and he pulled the sheets up over his head. He had long since stopped crying, but he didn't particularly want to talk to anybody. The other person spoke, and Link realized that it was Fledge.

"Link?" he asked hesitantly. "Are you okay?" Link didn't respond, and Fledge continued. "Do you want to talk to someone?"

"No."

At this, Link expected Fledge to leave, but the other boy instead sat down on the edge of the bed beside him. Almost tenderly, Fledge pulled the sheets down. His face was warm and comforting, and he had a slight hint of a smile, which cheered Link up a bit. "Link, what happened?"

"N-Nothing. I was just talking to Pipit. What time is it?" He sat up in the bed as he said this.

"It's early in the morning." There was a pause. "Why did talking to Pipit make you get upset? You talk to him all the time. Did he say something to you?"

Link thought about all of the things Pipit had said to him. "Sort of." He knew it was not in Fledge's nature to pry, and he didn't want to tell him what he was truly experiencing. He needed to talk to Pipit, though, to apologize for leaving him so abruptly. "I just got a little too emotional, that's all," he said, as much to himself as to Fledge. "I need to find Pipit, to make things right."

He rose suddenly, striding to the door. Then he turned back to Fledge. "Thank you, Fledge." With that, he left, leaving Fledge feeling very confused.

It only took Link a few minutes to reach Pipit's room. He knocked on the door before it occurred to him that Pipit was likely asleep. However, he heard a shuffle, and just a moment later the door was opened. Pipit was shirtless. His hair was in disarray. His eyes looked bloodshot, and Link presumed it was because he was too tired. He only wore one boot and a pair of thin pants.

Despite his shell-shocked state, Link could not deny that Pipit was extremely attractive. He bit his lip and fought to keep his eyes focused on Pipit's face. He could feel his cheeks getting hot, and could see that Pipit's were also turning red. "Oh, Link! Um… hold on." He lurched over to his closet and slipped into a nightshirt

"Oh, no! Don't worry about it." Link was flustered, much to his own irritation. He had spent plenty of time around Pipit, with and without various articles of clothing. He had seen the other boy naked countless times in the Sparring Hall showers and had never given it a second thought. Now, at the sight of his toned stomach and shoulders, he became inexplicably tongue-tied.

There was a very drawn-out, pregnant pause in which Link and Pipit looked around the room at anything but one another. Then, Pipit broke the silence. "So. Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I just wanted to apologize for running away from you earlier. You just kind of freaked me out." Link skirted around mentioning why he had freaked out.

Pipit gazed at him searchingly, examining him up and down. "Link, did something happen to you while I was gone. You've never acted like that before." Link tried to explain, but he couldn't get the words out. It felt as though he was trying to push them around a corner in his throat that was too tight. "Was it something that happened a long time ago that you never told me about?" Link fought to get his words out, but nothing came. He knew what he wanted to say, but it wasn't going to happen. "I mean, you don't have to tell me. If you don't want to talk to me about it, I won't take it personally."

Link finally gave up and nodded. He sighed and suddenly found himself able to speak. "Thank you, Pipit. I'm sorry, again, about leaving you earlier."

"Forget about it," Pipit said easily, pulling him into a hug. Link took a deep breath as was his custom when he hugged Pipit. He felt so comforted by his friend's characteristic scent. He smelled rough but fresh, masculine but somehow fragile, and, more than anything, like home. The hug lasted for years, it seemed, and when Pipit finally pulled out of it Link felt like a new person.

"Pipit, I –" He searched for words, but this time he didn't know what he should say. "I should go get sleep. You need some sleep as well, Pipit."

"Um, yeah, do you want me to walk you back to your room?" Pipit was already pulling on his other boot.

"Oh, no, I really should be fine."

Pipit stopped abruptly. "Oh. Yeah, of course… Well, bye then."

"Yeah… Bye." Link closed the door, slid down against the wall to the side. He sighed, wrapping his arms around his knees again. What was wrong with him? Why was he getting so worked up about a man around whom he had spent countless hours? Why was he becoming – dare he say it – attracted to him? Pipit had always been his best friend, second only to Zelda, a person Link had known for years. Why was this only happening now?

Link stood up and walked back to his room. He spent the remainder of the night slipping in and out of sleep, trying to put the thought of Pipit out of his mind for just a few hours.

However, it was impossible for Link to expel the boy from his thoughts. Link slipped in and out of sleep, never getting more than a few minutes at a time. After a few hours that felt like a lifetime, he rose and changed clothes. He had never undressed from the previous day, but didn't want to advertise that he had been up all night.

He met Zelda at the door to his dorm. She looked as cheerful as ever, but she gasped when she saw him. Link supposed that he didn't look to be at the top of his form. "Link? Are you feeling alright?" Link rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and looked around, squinting in the morning sunlight. It was cold and grey, and a thick layer of clouds hung low over Skyloft, mixing with the mist to create an eerie atmosphere. The sullenness of the weather reflected Link's mood, but he felt chilled to his very bones and yearned for sunlight.

"Hm? Oh, yeah. I'm fine. I'm just tired, that's all." His voice was hoarse, and he coughed violently.

Zelda bit her lip, looking him over with concern, but didn't press him. "Well, I talked to Karane this morning. I think this will all blow over in a few days."

"You – You talked to Karane?"

"Yes, we were in the showers at the same time, quite early this morning. Nobody else was around to hear us. Anyway, she told me that Pipit stopped by to talk to her last night." Link nodded, and Zelda continued. "Apparently, the main reason she was upset was because he wasn't acting romantic enough."

Link stopped walking. Pipit hadn't told Karane what he had told Link the night before, which meant that Zelda had no way of knowing. He knew that Zelda liked to avoid arguments, and would try her hardest to repair things between Pipit and Karane. But how could he let her try to fix things between them, after what Pipit had told him last night? "You know, I was just thinking that if we talk to Pipit, just you and I, we could maybe figure out why he and Karane are going through this, and we can help him get it together."

"Zelda," Link said abruptly, "Pipit had a good reason for being so… not together."

"What are you talking about, Link? I told you, Karane said –"

"I know what Karane said. I talked to Pipit last night."

At this, Zelda stopped. "Oh. What did he say?"

Link took a deep breath, warring with himself on whether to tell her the truth. Eventually, he decided that it was for the best. Pipit would forgive him later. "Well he told me that he was gay." Zelda turned sharply, completely taken by surprise.

"Pipit said that? Like our Pipit, the Pipit who we've been friends with for like ten years?" Link nodded. "Are you completely sure? Really?"

"_Yes_," Link said, exasperated. "Look, I was surprised as well, but he seemed pretty sure. I mean, he gave me a good reason why, and why he'd changed his mind. He said that Karane had been pressuring him into sex, and that he wasn't attracted to her at all."

"_They had sex?_"

"No, he stopped it before they got that far. And don't tell anyone what I've told you, I wasn't sure I should tell you at all, but I don't think Pipit will mind. I don't know when he's planning on telling Karane, or anyone else, for that matter, so don't go around telling everyone."

"Yeah, yeah, of course," Zelda said breezily. "So, what's Pipit's plan now?" They began walking again.

"I'm not sure, but I guess he'll break up with Karane." Link laughed. "What are all the girls going to say when they find out Pipit's not into that anymore."

"Yeah…" Zelda gazed dreamily off into the distance for a moment. Then she smiled peculiarly. "You know, you and Pipit could actually date now."

Link gazed blankly into her face for a long moment, not registering what she was saying. Then, he blinked and repeated her. "We could date?"

"Yeah," Zelda nodded. Link felt himself growing red. He imagined himself walking along through Skyloft, holding hands with Pipit, maybe sneaking a kiss. He imagined himself pressed up against the wall of his dorm room, with Pipit slipping his hands beneath his shirt, and then maybe moving down further…

"Link? Link?"

Link looked around, embarrassed. He bit his lip casually and shrugged. "Um, I mean – yeah, I guess we could date, if he – I mean, w_e_, wanted to, like yeah, sure, we _could_."

Zelda narrowed her eyes sneakily. "You like him, don't you, Link?"

Link blushed intensely. "Yeah, I mean he is pretty alright." Zelda just continued to look at him. "I mean, he's attractive, I guess, and he smells great, and…" Link blushed even harder, scowling at Zelda, who started to laugh. "Yes, I like him, okay!? Who doesn't!? He's kind of perfect, in case you hadn't noticed."

"Yeah, he is. So what, are you going to tell him?"

"Tell him what?"

"That you like him! You should tell him and see what happens. If you have sex, you need to tell me every detail!"

Link was alarmed. "Hey, slow down there! That certainly isn't going to happen anytime soon. I'm not sure what's going to happen between me and Pipit, but for now, don't tell him anything that I've told you. Don't tell anyone else, either, okay? Come on, we'd better get to class, or Professor Laymond will definitely put us in detention."

Link slept through most of his first class, and spent the second avoiding Zelda's eye, as she kept winking at him from where she sat beside Pipit. Link was dreading spending Combat Skills with Pipit, but he only exchanged a few words with the boy when Commander Eagus paired the class up to identify the various weapons and armor, and Link was with a girl he had never met before.

At lunch, Link half-slept beside Pipit, who was also looking exhausted, while his friends joked around happily. Zelda kept looking between him and Pipit, as if imagining them as a couple. Pipit's head was drooping, and he continued to jerk awake. Fledge kept glancing covertly at Link, catching his eye, and then blushing and looking down into his lap.

How Link stayed awake through the following afternoon was beyond him, but before he knew it, he was walking out of his last class. As he left the school, Zelda came rushing up to him, looking harried. "Link! You'd better watch out! Pipit just told Karane, and now she's on a warpath. I guess she thinks that you turned Pipit gay, and that he's breaking up with her for you. She was screaming something awful, and if she runs into you it won't – oh no!" Zelda turned pale, and Link saw why; Karane was striding towards them, a look of utmost hatred on her face.

"Oh, hello, Link. I was just looking to find you, actually. Rumour has it that you're fucking my boyfriend now?"

Link laughed awkwardly. "What? That's ridiculous."

"You think it's funny? You think, maybe, that I'm kidding around. Do you know what I just learned, Link? I learned that my boyfriend was dumping me because he's decided, for some reason, that he's gay now. And do you know who he's close to, who he spends a lot of time with, who he's been around for years? You, Link, I'm talking about you. And do you know who else I know, besides Pipit, who's gay? You, Link. My boyfriend is dumping me because he's decided he'd rather fuck you than me."

Pipit ran up, shouting. "Karane, I told you that this isn't about Link! This is about you and me!"

"Right, I forgot. You're dumping me because you just randomly decided that you didn't like me anymore. You tried to make it look like you were cheating on me with Orielle to protect Link, but I saw straight through that. As soon as you said you were that way, I knew you were fucking Link. You've probably been fucking Link for a while, haven't you?"

Pipit shuffled nervously, glanced at Link, and then turned back to Karane. "Link and I have never done anything, and I think you're missing the point. I'm not breaking up with you because of Link, and I'm not even breaking up with you because I'm gay. I'm breaking up with you because you were clingy, shallow, obsessive, and I was frankly sick of how you were trying to live my life as well as your own."

"That's ridiculous! I've always respected you and your wishes."

Pipit sighed, exasperated. "Karane, you shouldn't be making the kind of decisions for me that require you to respect my wishes. I can handle myself, make my own decisions, and decide where my life is going. I don't need your permission to do anything."

His voice was harsh, and Karane's eyes filled with tears. "I did all that for you, baby." Link cringed when she called him 'baby'. "I love you, and I want what's best for you. Please, please just come back to me."

Pipit looked at her, disgust twisting his face. "I'm gay, Karane. I know I didn't get your permission, but that's something you'll have to learn to live with. If you can't accept that, on top of everything else about me that you can't accept, then why do you think I would come back to you." She opened her mouth as if to argue back, but Pipit interrupted her, "And no, I'm not fucking Link." Pipit glanced again at Link, who blushed. Then, he smirked. "As attractive as he is, I have not yet fucked him."

Karane looked furiously from Pipit to Link. "I knew it! You are fucking! Well fine, that's just fine! Fuck you! Good fucking luck to the both of you!" With that, she stalked off.

Pipit watched her go and sighed before turning back to Link. "I'm sorry that you had to get dragged into that. And I'm sorry that she's so hostile. And, I'm sorry for everything she said about us fucking." Link might have imagined it, but he could have sworn that Pipit winked. Then, he walked off toward the dorm.

Zelda waited until he was out of earshot, and then bounced up beside Link. "Wow, Link, I've never seen him act so flirty. He's normally terrible at that sort of thing."

"What do you mean?" he asks apprehensively.

"'As attractive as he is, I haven't fucked him,'" she repeated. "And I know you saw him wink at you. I'll admit, Link: I'm jealous of you."

"Jealous?!"

"Well, I mean, he's gorgeous. And like you said earlier, he's basically perfect. He's fit, attractive, funny, kind-hearted, charismatic, and selfless. I mean, I can't really find anything wrong with him. Except that he's gay, I suppose."

Link laughed, and said, "Yeah, more for me, right?"

"So you're going to date him now, right? And you're going to describe everything that happens between you from this moment forward to me in exact detail, right? Oh, Fledge is going to be so upset!"

"What? Why?"

Zelda hesitated, smiling. "He kind of has a thing for you. Like he's always talking to me about you, but he doesn't want people to know that he's gay."

Link opened his mouth, and then closed it again. "Fledge is gay?"

Zelda laughed. "Yeah, and he's kind of into you. I told him that you were into the more masculine guys, and that he'd probably be too feminine for you. But he's always asking me about you, and he has a cute little picture of you on his desk. He's in love, basically. It's adorable."

* * *

Author's Note: I really hope you've enjoyed the story so far! Please review – it will probably make me scream in happiness! Oh, and be sure to favorite and follow for more!


	3. Love Alike

Disclaimer: I am in no way claiming ownership over the Legend of Zelda franchise or making money with this story. No copyright infringement is intended.

* * *

"_We need not think alike to love alike."_ – Francis David

* * *

Link was losing track of the number of times he had been left speechless over the last day or two. "Fledge? Wait, are you being serious? Fledge likes me?"

Zelda rolled her eyes in exasperation. "Link, you're being stupid. Of course he likes you, haven't you noticed? He's like you for weeks and weeks." Link didn't know how he was expected to react, but he though back to lunch and how Fledge had kept looking away after catching is eye. Was that not exactly how he had been behaving around Pipit? Was he to Fledge what Pipit was to him? And speaking of that, what exactly was Pipit to him?

"Oh," he managed. "Yeah, I guess I have noticed something." Then, out of nowhere, Zelda punched him slyly on the arm.

"You dog! Two boys on the go! I'm so jealous."

Link blushed. "Fledge doesn't count. We're not dating."

"But my point is that you _could_ date. I don't have any boys that are interested in me." Link muttered something about neither of them being interested. "Oh, don't even, you saw Pipit. He was totally flirting with you. And I've just told you about Fledge. There's really no way out of this. One way or another, you're going to end up with one of them."

Sputtering, Link tried to find words. Zelda just laughed. "Go and find Pipit. You'll figure this out, Link." With that, she turned and walked off.

Link watched her go. The second day of school had just ended, but so much had happened in the last two days, Link felt as though it had been weeks ago that he had woken up late and almost received a detention. He walked in a kind of trance back to his room, too deep in thought to notice what was happening around him. He was brought back to reality by Piper, who ran into him as he rounded a corner.

"Oh! Sorry about that, Link!" He grunted, and she looked him over sympathetically. "So, this must all be pretty stressful for you, huh? Peatrice just told me about Karane screaming at you; it sounds as though she's bent out of shape pretty bad." Link could only nod. "Well, don't worry too much about Karane. I think she'll cool off eventually, and we should be able to talk some sense into her. So, what's going to happen with you and Pipit? Are you going to start dating?"

"I don't know," Link said truthfully.

"Well, my mom always said that if we wait too long for something to happen, we'll miss our chance to make the most of it. Don't rush into anything, but know that Pipit's a really attractive guy. He'll have boys all over him before long. Girls too, probably."

Link nodded.

"Well, goodbye Link. I'll see you tomorrow. And please, don't get too worked up about this. It'll all sort itself out eventually." She patted him comfortingly on the arm and then walk away. Link made straight for his room, dropped his bag at the door, and crawled onto his bed, sighing and massaging his temples. It had been a long, stressful day, and he was exhausted. Before he knew it, he had fallen asleep.

When he woke up later, hours had passed, and night had fallen. Rubbing sleep from his eyes, he walked dreamily from his dorm building and out into the darkness. He walked and walked, without thinking about where he was going, and he eventually wound up at the edge of the drop-off where he had spoken to Pipit the night before.

Pipit was sitting on the edge of the drop-off, his legs dangling over the side. He was humming cheerfully to himself and watching his Loftwing flying happily. He didn't bat an eye as Link approached, and when the other boy sat down beside him, Pipit hardly moved.

Link broke the silence. "Hi."

Pipit sighed, and turned to his friend. "What's up, Link?"

"Nothing much. I just came out here because I figured I could find you. I've been asleep."

"Yeah, I need to get some sleep." The two boys were quiet for a long moment. The wind whipped around them, and Link could hear the nighttime noises of Skyloft behind them. He gazed out into the stars, feeling an odd peace overcome him. "Link, can I ask you something?"

"What's that?"

"You know what I asked you last night? About having sex?" Link was on the alert immediately. "Can you tell me why you got so upset?"

Link struggled to find words. "I-I mean, you don't have to if you want to, but I just get so worried about you, and I hated seeing you upset like that, and I thought, maybe, if you wanted to talk about it with someone, I could be a good listener. I mean, you know you can tell me anything, right?"

After a tense pause, Link sighed heavily. "I know, Pipit. I just haven't ever really talked about it with anyone. I don't think I'm ready for that."

Pipit wrapped his arm around Link's shoulders, pulling him close. Link took a deep breath, enjoying his friend's familiar and comforting scent. "Well, when you are, I'll be here to listen." The two of them sat there for almost half an hour, just enjoying one another's company. Neither of the felt inclined to say anything, but after a while, Pipit made as if to get up. "Come on, let's take a walk."

Pipit helped Link to his feet, and the two set off across the island. After five minutes, they found themselves crossing the bridge to the Statue of the Goddess. "So, what happens now?"

Link stopped walking. "What do you mean?"

"I mean between us. I don't know how this thing normally works."

"What thing?"

"You know – guy relationships."

"Guy relationships work the same way as regular ones, Pipit," Link said wryly. "And anyway, who said we're in a relationship?"

Pipit blushed. "Nobody. I just – I mean, I guess, I-I just –"

"Pipit, relax. Nobody's dating. You don't need to explain anything. I mean, you are kind of perfect, and everyone expects us to date, but nobody needs to feel pressured into dating anybody else."

Pipit was grinning awkwardly. "I'm not perfect."

Link rolled his eyes. "You're right. You're ugly as hell, and you have the personality of a teaspoon."

Pipit blushed again and didn't say anything for a moment. In fact, Link got the impression he was at a loss for words. "So, how many guys have you been with?"

"Oh yeah, that's just what I want to talk about. Zelda was right; you are terrible at this."

"It only proves that I'm not perfect," he said jauntily, winking and grinning at Link. When he smiled, his perfectly white teeth shone, and his face lit up. Link sighed, gazing into Pipit's eyes. "You know, I've liked you for a really long time."

Was Link imagining it, or was Pipit leaning in closer? "And what Karane said wasn't so wrong, really. I would rather fuck you." Link's ears were buzzing. "And I've always admired you, because you have something I don't. Do you know what that is?"

Pipit was definitely getting close now. Link laughed. "What do I have that you don't?"

"You know who you are," Pipit said softly. "I've been searching my whole life, and still don't know what I'm doing. I can't seem to please anyone."

"You're expecting too much, Pipit. Just take it easy."

Link and Pipit stood almost nose-to-nose. "Can I kiss you?"

Link's breath caught in his throat. He nodded vaguely, and Pipit closed the remaining distance between their lips. He tasted sweet, and his lips were smooth. Link closed his eyes, allowing his other senses to enjoy the experience. Wind whipped around them as Pipit brought his hand tenderly to Link's cheek. Link twisted Pipit's hair in his fingers and used his other hand to pull himself closer to Pipit's body.

Pipit's hand found its way beneath Link's shirt and started slipping beneath his waistline. Pipit drew in a breath and his nose rubbed against Link's, who whimpered softly. Pipit caressed Link's cheek and broke away from the kiss stepping back and gazing into Link's eyes.

"That was amazing," Pipit said breathlessly. Then he frowned anxiously. "How did I do?"

Link laughed. "What are you worried about? You've kissed plenty of people."

"Yeah, but never a guy. And never you," he added, blushing.

Link took Pipit's chin gently and kissed him again. "It was almost a great as eating a muffin. I love muffins." Pipit looked confused, and Link laughed. "It was perfect, Pipit. Just like you."

Pipit blushed even harder. "I could kiss you for the rest of my life. If I died right here, with you in my arms, I would die a happy death." He pulled Link into a tight embrace, and Link buried his face into his friend's tunic. Pipit's arms wrapped tightly around his shoulders, and he took a deep breath. He had always liked Pipit's smell, but now it was different. Instead of being comforting and friendly, there was something attractive and musky in it, and Link couldn't help by sigh happily and allow the scent to fill his entire soul.

After a few minutes, they broke apart, and Pipit walked with Link back to his dorm. "Goodnight," Pipit said awkwardly outside Link's door. He looked uncertain as to how to proceed from there. Link pulled him into another hug.

"Relax, Pipit. Everything will work out. Don't get stressed out about this."

He sighed, looking into Pipit's eyes, and smiled. Then, he turned and closed the door. He stripped down and climbed into bed, feeling content. Almost immediately, he realized how exhausted he still was, and sleep took him moments later.

He woke up to his darkened bedroom and stretched pleasantly. Rubbing the sleep out of his eyes, he rose and made his way to the bathroom, wrapped in a towel and clutching his toiletries. He headed for the empty showers and was in the process of turning on the water when the door swung open and Fledge entered the room. For a moment, it seemed that he didn't notice Link, his eyes staying squinted against the light.

Then, suddenly, he straightened up, staring intensely at Link, clutching his towel around his waist. Link stared back, blushing, as he became uncomfortably aware of his naked body. "Oh," he spluttered, "h-hi, Fledge. How are you?"

Fledge couldn't seem to speak, so he forced a nod and walked purposefully past Link, staring directly at the wall. He stepped into his shower and pulled the curtain closed without another word. Link showered quickly and tried to ignore the awkward silence that settled over the washroom when he turned off his shower.

"Fledge," Link began tentatively, "Are you okay?"

Fledge's voice wavered towards him from his shower. "What? Oh – oh yeah, I'm fine. Just tired, is all. I haven't been sleeping well for the last few nights. It's probably just the stress of school and stuff."

Link grinned weakly. He knew that Fledge didn't know that Link knew that Fledge liked him, and he wasn't sure how to tell him. However, he had the feeling that standing naked in the shower just hours after he had kissed Pipit wasn't the best time. "Yeah, probably." Fledge left the room and the conversation soon afterwards, allowing Link to step out and dry at his leisure.

His thoughts couldn't help but stray to Pipit, and he half-hoped that Pipit would walk in on him so that they could share another kiss, but he finished dressing and left the washroom without interruption. When he returned to his room, a weak light was starting to form along the horizon. He dropped the towel and climbed onto the bed, his thoughts still on Pipit, and he didn't rise again until his window was alive with sunlight. He rose and dressed slowly, grabbed his bag, and headed for the school.

He was joined outside yet again by Zelda. "So what did you talk to Pipit about last night?"

Link was astounded. "What are you talking about? How do you know about that?"

She giggled. "Well, I was just talking to Pipit, and he said that you two talked for a while last night, but he wouldn't tell me anything else. He seemed pretty happy though. Did you guys kiss?"

"What?!"

"Kiss? Did you kiss him?" Link's embarrassment was a giveaway. "YOU KISSED! How was it? You didn't go any farther, did you? Does this mean you're dating now? Do you even want a relationship? Did he taste amazing? Was he a good kisser? Tell me e_verything_."

"Hey, calm down! We definitely aren't dating! As for the kiss… well, it was pretty good. Awesome, actually. In fact, it might be the best kiss I've ever had."

"It should be; it's the only kiss you've ever had."

"Ha ha," Link said wryly. "We both know that isn't true."

"So, tell me about the kiss. How did it happen?"

"Well, I don't really remember it. One minute, we were walking by the Statue of the Goddess and talking about what was going to happen between us, and he got a little flirty, and then he was leaning towards me, and then he asked if he could kiss me, and then he was kissing me. It didn't last too long, but it felt pretty good. He broke it off because I sort of moaned a little." Zelda raised her eyebrows and Link blushed. "Anyway, then he asked me how he'd done, like he's never kissed anyone before, and then I told him not to worry about anything, and he walked me back to my room."

Zelda shook her head playfully. "Face it, Link; if you aren't dating him yet, you will be soon. I'm betting it'll happen before the week is over."

Link smiled. "I'd be okay with that."

"You actually want to date him?!" Zelda squealed.

"Of course I do! I've had a crush on him for years, and I've known him for even longer. I always get a little jealous when I see girls flirting with him, and I got pretty depressed when he started dating Karane."

"Yeah, I noticed."

Link laughed. "And you know that I've never really dated anyone. I've always thought that I would wait for the right one to come along… someone who I could trust to take good care of me."

"You think Pipit is the one for you? That's so sweet!"

"Yeah, I mean, why wouldn't he be? He's perfect! And with every other guy I've ever kissed or been attracted to, I've never really wanted to become involved with them. But Pipit is different. I can see spending the rest of my life with him. Waking up beside him in the mornings, making him coffee, kissing him on his way out the door, maybe even having kids."

"That's adorable. And a little pathetic." Zelda sighed. "Somehow, I always knew that you'd be the one to end up with Pipit."

Link laughed. "Yeah, well you can have Fledge, like I said." Zelda laughed as well, rolling her eyes. "Speaking of Fledge, I ran into him this morning in the shower."

Zelda's eyes widened. "Two boys in a row! I told you, Link!"

"No – no – ew – no! We didn't do anything, but it was really awkward. You know that he doesn't know that I know that he likes me. He walked in and I was completely naked."

"That's hot."

Link narrowed his eyes. "I am hot, but that's not the point. The point is, it was really awkward. I tried to talk to him, but he was acting really distracted, and he left really fast. I wonder how he would feel about Pipit and me."

"Well, that's obvious." Link raised his eyebrows expectantly. "He'd be hurt and confused, to start with, and angry with Pipit, because he would see it as unfair that after a week you and Pipit start dating, whereas he has going after you for ages."

"He hasn't been going after me! He's had a secret crush, according to you. He's never said anything about it! We spend so much time together! And how does he expect me to notice if he never tries to tell me?"

"Come on, Link! You know how shy Fledge is! It might seem simple to you, but he couldn't just walk up and tell you about it. He's a really closed person. He doesn't want people to know he's gay because he's afraid of getting bullied even worse."

They had reached the school by now and were approaching their classroom. They stopped discussing the subject, for fear of being overheard. Their first class flew by, and, the next thing he knew, he was walking into his second class with Zelda. Instead of sitting beside Pipit, Zelda flounced past and sat down in the chair next to Piper. She winked at Link and he mock-grimaced as he took the chair on Pipit's left.

Pipit glanced at him from the corner of his eye and smiled. "How are you, Link?"

If Link was expecting awkward, he was disappointed. Pipit was as smooth as usual, and Link couldn't help but smile too. "Great. Did you sleep well?"

"Yes, actually, I slept very well. Had a few dreams – really good dreams." He winked, and Link blushed. Piper and Zelda giggled, causing Link to become even redder. Fortunately, Link and Pipit didn't get much of a chance to talk to one another over the next couple of hours. They walked together to lunch in silence, and sat down across from Piper and Zelda.

"Where's Fledge?" Link asked.

"I don't know," Piper frowned.

Zelda, however, looked at Link meaningfully and said, "He wasn't in third block this morning, and I don't know if he's been here at all today." She stood up. "Let's go grab lunch." The two walked to the lunch line together.

"Look, if he's so lovesick that he can't face coming to school, that's really not my problem. Look, how would he even know about Pipit and me?"

"He's in the room next to yours. Maybe he overheard you and Pipit last night."

Link groaned. "Tell me what to do, Zelda."

"Maybe you should talk to him? I mean, if he just heard Pipit say goodnight to you, he shouldn't be too upset. Imagine how he'll feel if you start dating."

"What am I supposed to say? Sorry, but I found out you're gay and I just wanted to clear it up that I'm not attracted to you? Come on, you know I wouldn't be able to say that."

"Link, I don't know what to tell you, but you need to say something to him, or else he'll just sulk for the rest of the year. I love Fledge and all, and I want what's best for him. I know it's uncomfortable for you, but it's basically your job to make sure he moves on from this. Maybe you could hook him up with another guy?"

"I thought he didn't want people to know he was gay?"

"I'm just trying to help!" Zelda snapped.

When they returned to their table, there was a very unwelcome person sitting in Karane's empty place.

"Link! Just the man I wanted to see!"

"What do you want, Groose?" Link asked dubiously. Stritch was perched awkwardly in Peatrice's vacant seat, and Cawlin was hovering uncertainly behind them. Pipit was shifting uncomfortably beside Link, and Piper was focused on her food. Zelda was staring at Groose with disgust.

"I just wanted to congratulate the new couple!"

Link didn't let his shock show. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"I just heard about you and Pipit making some vanilla last night is all. So, did you fuck? Who was on top? It was Pipit, right?"

"Stay the fuck out of it, alright?"

"Hey, take it easy there, cock-socket! I'm just trying to keep in touch with my friends." He waved, as if dismissing a compliment. "Not too touchy, though," he said seriously. "I know you faggots take whatever you can get, but this dick is for girls only." He winked coyly at Zelda.

She retched. "Why are you such an asshole, Groose? Just leave them alone!"

He ignored her. "What made you go gay, Pipit? Sick of Karane – don't know why, she's one of the hottest girls in school. And why Link? I mean, there are so many better guys." He turned to his friends. "What do you think, Cawlin; would you take it up the ass from Pipit?" Cawlin blushed and muttered something, looking down into his lap.

Pipit stood up suddenly. "I'm warning you, Groose, if you don't get out of here I'll knock you into next week."

Groose stood as well, and, despite himself, Link couldn't help but draw back from his enormous bulk. "Right, like I'd take any shit from a pillow-eater like you. What's wrong, twinkle toes? Feeling a little butt-sore?"

Link didn't know what happened, but it happened fast. One moment, Pipit and Groose were on opposite sides of the table, staring one another down, and then they were twisting in a tangle of limbs, swearing and screaming. Cawlin and Stritch leapt backwards, Zelda squealed, and Link desperately tried to pull Pipit off of Groose.

* * *

Author's Note: I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please review to give me feedback about the kiss – it was a hard scene to write. Oh, and please follow and favorite for more!


	4. The Love You Take

Disclaimer: I am in no way claiming ownership over the Legend of Zelda franchise or making money with this story. No copyright infringement is intended.

Author's Note: Thanks for all of the reviews so far! I hope you enjoy what's next!

* * *

"_The love you take is equal to the love you make."_ – Paul McCartney

* * *

"Pipit, get off of him! Pipit, get off! Teachers are coming," he hissed. And sure enough, several Professors were running towards them, looking harried. Most of the students in the cafeteria had stood up to see the fight, and several in the farther corners had moved closer. The teachers were closing in, and Link tore Pipit off of Groose, who surged forward and was restrained by Cawlin and Stritch.

"Outrageous!" Professor Owlan screeched. "I've never seen anything like it! Fighting in the Knight Academy! Think of the dishonor!" He wrenched Groose up by the shoulders. "Follow me, young man!" He turned to Pipit. "And you!"

He drug swept off, and the surrounding students settled back into their seats. Link hurried off after Pipit without thinking, and Zelda followed suit. They walked awkwardly alongside Cawlin and Stritch, but didn't pay them any thought. When they reached Headmaster Gaepora's office, Link and Zelda made as if to sit down, but Professor Owlan gestured for them to enter the office, which became very crowded as seven people flooded in through the doors. Professor Gaepora looked up, startled, from his paperwork.

"What's this? What is going on?"

Professor Owlan dramatically pointed towards Groose and Pipit, who were sitting opposite the Headmaster. "These boys have been brawling in the dining hall during lunchtime. They have dishonored the Knight's Code, and disrespected everything this school stands for!"

He was almost screaming and looked quite deranged. Headmaster Gaepora was alarmed. "Perhaps we should hear it from them. If you'd like to take a seat, Owlan?"

Professor Owlan trembled with rage as he lowered himself into a chair beside Stritch, who shifted aside uncomfortably. Link caught Zelda's eye, and she shook her head solemnly.

"Groose, we'll start with you. What happened?"

Groose was lounging in the chair, clearly at ease, and he tapped his chin for a moment as if recalling something that had happened years ago. "Well, Pipit has always been quite mean to me, and I was trying once again to determine the reason behind this frosty attitude." He spoke as if he were a scholar. "I was simply trying to make friendly conversation, and Pipit started attacking me. He was screaming and swearing, and I remember being shocked into defending myself."

Link rolled his eyes. He tensed up, wanted to cut in and tell Gaepora that Groose's story was all lies, but Zelda must have known what he was thinking, because she put a hand on his thigh.

Professor Gaepora raised his eyebrows; Link thought he looked almost skeptical. Then he turned to Pipit. "And what's your story?"

"We were eating lunch when Groose came over with his goons, Cawlin and Stritch. We asked him what he wanted, and he started antagonizing Link and me, using certain… slurs against us." Link had been wondering when his name would come up. "He was becoming more and more hostile, and I warned him that if he continued, I would punch him. He became more vulgar, and I punched him."

"May I inquire as to the nature of these slurs?"

Pipit blushed, and Groose sniggered. "Oh, well, they were, um, he was…"

"They were homosexual slurs," Link said.

Gaepora turned to Link. "I see. And can you remember specifics?"

"Well, he used the words faggot, cock-socket, twinkle toes, pillow-eater, and butt-sore," he recounted easily. "On top of that, he asked inappropriate questions about our private business."

Headmaster Gaepora looked Link over curiously. Then he turned to Groose. "Do you deny saying these things, Groose?"

Groose sat back in his chair, looking out the window behind Headmaster Gaepora's desk. Link could see the edge of the Statue of the Goddess. Groose was silent for almost a full minute, and Link could tell he was doing some serious thinking. "Well, what I said isn't important; it's really how I said them that makes a difference."

Pipit rolled his eyes. "Groose, you don't say things like that with friendly intent."

Gaepora nodded. "So you don't deny saying these things?"

"I didn't know they were bad. I've just heard other people use them before and thought they were okay things to say." Link scoffed, and Groose could tell this wouldn't work. "I feel like this is becoming very one-sided. Everyone seems to be ignoring everything I've said."

Gaepora ignored him. "Pipit, you say you threw the first punch?" Pipit nodded. "Then I will have to punish you. You'll serve detention with Professor Owlan this coming Saturday at" (he glanced at Professor Owlan) "seven?" Owlan nodded. "Seven to nine. Doing whatever Professor Owlan sees fit." Owlan huffed, settling back into his chair as though satisfied.

"Groose, for the use of highly inappropriate slurs with the intent of provoking a fight in the dining hall, you will be doing detention with me every night this week, stripped of your knight-in-training privileges, and put on probation. I will be writing to your parents tonight to inform them. If I have to speak with you one more time about your behavior, it will be to expel you. Do you understand?"

Groose nodded glumly, glaring sideways at Pipit.

"Okay, you may return to lunch." Groose rose immediately and strode out of the room, Cawlin and Stritch following close behind. Pipit stood up and thanked Gaepora for his understanding.

"So, are you dating now?" Gaepora asked, looking from Pipit to Link.

Pipit blushed again. "Um, no sir, we aren't yet."

Gaepora nodded. "Well, you'd make a great couple."

Pipit mumbled his thanks and then made for the door. Link stood and followed, Zelda a step behind him. As soon as the door was closed, Pipit sighed, relieved. "I thought we were going to have it. Owlan was so angry when we came up here."

"Groose got it," Zelda said. "He won't be so quick to bully you in the future."

"I'm not worried about that. What I'm worried about is how he knew."

Pipit frowned. "I thought that as well. You don't think anyone could have been watching us last night, do you?"

"I doubt it." Link cast his mind back. Then his eyes widened. "He might have overheard us earlier, Zelda!"

She groaned. "You're probably right! Wow, Pipit, Groose is proving to be a lot of trouble for you, huh?"

He chuckled. "Yeah, well I don't mind that he broke me and Karane up, but if he ever says anything like that to you again, Link, I'll rip his balls off." Link smiled, and Zelda rolled her eyes. They walked back to the dining hall to find Piper, eating by herself and looking downcast. She brightened up immediately when she saw them, however, and was eager to join their conversation when they sat down.

"So, what happened?"

Pipit rubbed his eyes and chuckled. "I have a detention this Saturday at seven with Professor Owlan. Groose took the real bullet though." Piper looked puzzled.

"He's doing detention every night this week with Gaepora himself, he's been put on probation, and had his knight-in-training privileges taken away," Link listed. "Am I missing anything?"

"Dad's writing to his parents," Zelda chimed in happily.

"Yeah, so hopefully he'll get even more punishment from them," Pipit said savagely.

"Did you tell Headmaster Gaepora about all the awful things that he said?" Piper asked nervously.

"Link did. I… I couldn't. I was too embarrassed," he mumbled.

Link patted him on the arm consolingly. "Headmaster Gaepora thinks we would make a good couple, though. That means it must be true."

Pipit gave a forced laugh that was replaced all too quickly with a decidedly glum expression. Link frowned but chose not to pursue it, and instead looked around to see Groose on the other side of the dining hall, looking haughty, as though he hadn't just been severely punished. Link doubted if Groose cared about any of the punishment; what would matter to him was being beaten by Pipit, who had gotten off with a much lighter punishment. Link knew that if Groose felt himself losing, he would want to drag as many people down with him, and couldn't help but feel like this wasn't over.

The bell rang, and students flocked towards the doors to escape the dining hall. Uneasily, Link noticed that Groose was not in his next class, nor did he see him for the rest of the day.

Link and Pipit walked back to the dorm together after the final lesson of the day, and they stopped at the edge of a drop-off. They stood in silence for a minute, looking out at the fluffy white clouds, and, all at once, it struck Link how much he cared for the other boy. They had been through so much together, and Pipit had always stood by Link's side. They almost never argued, and could make each other laugh just by making eye contact.

He stood there, smiling fondly as gazed at Pipit's gorgeous face. He had the chiseled visage of a man, while retaining an air of boyish mischief. His smile was cheeky and mysterious, and his eyes twinkled with a warm and merry light.

Pipit noticed Link looking at him and grinned sheepishly. "What?" When Link didn't answer, Pipit turned to face him. "Why are you looking at me?"

And suddenly, as if waking up from a deep sleep, Link was in love. It wasn't the usual shallow attraction, the need to have Pipit's body on his, the casual affection. Link wanted to spend his life with the other man. He wanted to fall asleep in his arms, wake up with their bodies entwined, see the tired smile in his eyes and kiss him on his way out the door. He wanted to cuddle with him at the fireside on cold winter evenings and walk with him beside lakes on long summer days. In that moment, Link foresaw his entire future, and the thought of spending it without Pipit make him sick.

"You know what everyone's been saying about us dating?" Link asked slowly. "What if we were dating?"

Pipit stared into his eyes for a long time. Then, slowly and deliberately, he closed the space between the two boys, wrapped his arm around Link's back. He kissed him deeply, more passionately than he had the night before. Pipit's fingers raked through Link's hair and his other arm held Link's body firmly against his own. Both of Link's arms clung tightly around Pipit's waist, and they remained this way for what seemed like eternity.

Link allowed himself to get lost in Pipit's kiss. He could focus on little but Pipit's tongue in his mouth, the sweet taste of his lips, of his hands on Link's back, and the smell, the smell that he had for so long associated with his best friend. Now there was something different in the smell. It made him yearn for something in his life that he had never known before.

Once again, it was Link who moaned lightly, and, once again, it was Pipit who broke the kiss. He had an enormous smile on his face. "I'd like that." It took a moment for Link to realize that he was agreeing to a relationship. A grin to match Pipit's split his own face.

"Really?"

"Yes. Link, will you give me the privilege of calling myself your boyfriend?"

Link smiled happily at Pipit before he nodded, broke into laughter, and said, "I'd like that too." Pipit kissed him again, and then they embraced for a long while at the edge of the drop-off. Link felt as though he would happily plunge himself over the edge if he could just stay in Pipit's arms. Eventually, however, Pipit broke their embrace, and said, "I have to go. I'll see you later."

Link caught his hand as he made to walk away. "Do you want to hang out later?"

"Er – no. I can't. I'm sorry," he said, his eyes flickering nervously towards the sky.

"Oh," Link said, feeling disappointed. "Well, I'll see you tomorrow then."

Pipit closed the distance between them and kissed him again, briefly but deeply, and held his chin. "I really am sorry." Then he walked away. Link watched him go, sighing happily. Then he set off, not to his dorm, but to Zelda's dorm.

He knocked, and she answered the door quickly. "Oh, hi Link, did I –" Then she stopped and narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "I'll get my coat." She disappeared by reappeared straightaway wrapped in a light jacket. "What happened?"

They walked out of the dorm and along the edge of the buildings, heading in the direction of Skyloft proper. "We kissed again."

She could tell this wasn't all. "And?"

"And we're dating now."

She squealed excitedly. "I KNEW IT! I knew that's why you came! Did he ask you?"

Link grinned. "No, I sort of asked him first, but then he asked me properly."

"And then you kissed?"

"Well, we kissed in the middle, sort of."

Zelda sighed. "At this rate, I'm going to be the only one at the Fall Celebration without a date."

"The what?"

"The Fall Celebration. You know, the one we have _every year_." She shook her head. "You must be lovesick. Anyway, people normally take dates, and I don't have one. We went together last year, don't you remember?"

"Oh, yeah," Link said absentmindedly. Then he frowned. "Like you couldn't get a date in three seconds flat if you tried. You're the daughter of the Headmaster of the Knight Academy, you're smart, funny, and friendly, and you're one of the prettiest girls in school."

"Aw, you think that?"

"I mean, _I_ don't, but others s_eem_ to have come to that conclusion," he said mockingly.

She rolled her eyes. "Well, you're gay, so you don't count."

Link gasped in mock surprise. "I'm GAY? Oh my goodness, I simply had no idea! I'd better go tell Pipit, in case he thinks he's dating a gay man! Idiot."

Zelda laughed. They were in Skyloft now, walking alongside the bazaar to the plaza. "So anyway, are you and Pipit hanging out later?"

"No," Link frowned. "He said he couldn't. Then he apologized and left. He seemed pretty uneasy about it too."

"Very mysterious," mused Zelda, frowning as well. "We, I'm sure it was nothing to be worried about. Pipit's a great guy, and I know he'd never do anything to hurt you." Link was about to reply when he was interrupted by a loud giggle.

He turned and looked sharply up the path, where Piper was walking along towards them, clinging to the arm of Fado, a classmate of theirs. He was chatting happily, and she was giggling, staring adoringly into his boyish face. Link experienced a moment of indecision, and then pulled Zelda behind the nearest tree to listen in. As the couple drew closer, Fado could be heard saying, "So then, me an' my older brother Rusl pretended that she was invisible for the rest of the day. It drove her mad, too. She kept saying, 'Look at me, I'm right here!' And there was me, saying how it'd gone awfully quite an' my brother asking if I'd seen our sister Ilia anywhere!"

Piper giggled again, and then sighed happily. "You have the funniest stories, Fado. I hope I can meet your brother and sister someday, too. Then maybe I'll get to hear some dirt on you." She sounded almost flirtatious.

"Piper, I've been meanin' to ask you somethin'," he said seriously. "Do you… maybe, would you want to hang out sometime this weekend? I mean, we only have first block together, and I was wonderin' if maybe we could spend a little more time together."

"Oh, of course, Fado! I do love spending time with you. When were you thinking, exactly?"

"Oh, gee, I dunno – how 'bout this Saturday afternoon?"

"Yes, that sounds great!"

"Good. Well, I've gotta run. Got myself a job over at the Lumpy Pumpkin this year, I have!" he said proudly. With that, he was off. Link and Zelda stepped out from behind the tree to see Piper staring dreamily after Fado.

"So," Zelda said, making Piper jump, "got any plans for this Saturday afternoon?"

Piper went brick red. "What are you doing?"

"Casually eavesdropping on your conversation," Link said seriously. Then, he grinned. "We're actually sorry; we were just walking along here when we saw you coming. We haven't been stalking you are anything."

"Well, tell us! What's going on between you and Fado?"

Piper was flustered. "Oh, there's nothing to tell, really. I just have him in my first class of the day – you know, the one I didn't know anyone in at first. Well he's been sitting next to me, and we've been talking a little, and I just ran into him in town."

"Mm hm," said Zelda skeptically, raising and eyebrow. "And why is Miss Introvert herself making sudden excursions into town? It wouldn't be to 'run in' to Country Boy over there, would it?"

"And anyway," Link added, "you're story is boring. Casual acquaintance leads to something deeper? It's a dead angle. Try for this –" he raised his hands as if framing the words in the sky "– lost big-city girl falls for mysterious, country-grown stranger and finds herself living a life she never knew."

"Stellar up until the last part," Zelda said critically. "It's too cliché. The audiences want new and fresh. 'Living a life she never knew'? It's old news. They're sick of the seemingly badass innocent girl. We need a doll trying to escape the mean streets of under the bed to return to the doll house. A rose among weeds."

Piper mumbled, embarrassed.

"Anyway!" said Zelda briskly. "We have some even more exciting news! Guess who Master Link now gets to parade around as his boyfriend?"

Piper looked for a minute from Zelda to Link, and then her eyes widened and she squealed in a manner very similar to Zelda. "You and Pipit?" Link nodded. "You're dating?" Link nodded again. "That's amazing! Congratulations, Link!"

Link grinned. "Thanks."

"I knew this would happen! I mean, after what Groose said at lunch, I thought already you might have been, but then you said something to Pipit, so I knew you hadn't yet, and – well, anyway – this is great!"

"This leaves me as the only one without a date," Zelda said again, half-amused, half-gloomy. "Well, me and Fledge, anyway."

"Yeah, but I told you the other day that you could have Fledge, and look where we are now. It's like the Goddess has lined it up so that you and Fledge end up together."

"But Fledge likes you! How is it fair that I end up getting stuck with your backup?"

"Go and find a boyfriend, then," Link said irritably. "I'll take you to that bar on the lower island."

"Hold on a minute, is Fledge gay?" Piper asked, bewildered.

Zelda sighed. "I think so. I mean, he never told me that he was gay, he just told me that he had a huge crush on Link. But don't tell anyone – Fledge doesn't want anyone to know that he's gay."

Link stopped walking suddenly, fear flooding through him like cold ice. "What's wrong, Link?"

"Fledge," he said slowly.

Zelda rolled her eyes. She shook her head at Piper, who simply looked confused back. "We've been over this, Link. He's had a crush on you for ages, and he doesn't want to pursue you because he doesn't –"

"We thought that Groose might have overheard us talking earlier this morning. When we were talking about Pipit and me. We talked about Fledge too."

Zelda opened her mouth, closed it, and then her eyes widened. "You don't think…?"

"If he didn't straight away then I'm betting he did after the fight with Pipit. Groose didn't come to any lessons after lunch." He and Zelda broke into a sprint towards the dorms, Piper following behind. They tore through the building complex, whipped open the door to their dorm, and sprinted up the staircase.

Link skidded to a halt outside Fledge's door, which was just down the hall from his own. "Fledge?" he called, banging on the door loudly. "Fledge, are you in there? Why weren't you in school today, Fledge?" He heard movement on the other side of the door, and then it swung wide open.

Zelda gasped, and Piper clapped her hand to her mouth. Link slowly turned, shaking with dread, and the sight brought tears of rage and sympathy to his eyes. "Hi Link," Fledge said softly.

* * *

Author's Note: Well! That's the tea! Please review and follow to get the next chapter on Sunday! Thanks for reading!


	5. Who They Are

Disclaimer: I am in no way claiming ownership over the Legend of Zelda franchise or making money with this story. No copyright infringement is intended.

* * *

"_Love is to love someone for who they are, who they were, and who they will be."_ – Chris Moore

* * *

Link winced in spite of himself. He tried to speak, to apologize or say something comforting, but all he could manage was a sharp gasp that reflected the pain Fledge must have felt. Link surveyed the boy, becoming more disgusted with himself, and more importantly with Groose.

Fledge was covered in enormous purple bruises and cuts, the worst of which seemed to be on his face and neck. His nose was misshapen, as though it was broken. He wasn't wearing a shirt, and his entire upper body was decorated in a black and blue spectrum of injuries. He winced with each breath he took, and standing up seemed to be taking its toll on his body, because he leaned heavily against the door. He took a step back as if to invite them in, and his entire body jerked as he whimpered horribly. He was on the edge of collapse, so Link rushed forward, overcoming his shock, to help Fledge sit down on the unmade bed.

"What happened?" Zelda said softly.

Fledge coughed, and the sound brought tears to Link's eyes. "It's –"

"If you say 'It's nothing', Fledge…" Link said warningly. "Did Groose do this?" Fledge looked down into his lap, and Link watched as a single tear fell from his nose.

"Yes." Link put his arm around Fledge's shoulders and pulled the other boy in for a close hug. Fledge sobbed in earnest, and Link shook with rage. A tear escaped his eyes. It wasn't fair for Fledge to receive this treatment, and expelling Groose wouldn't be enough. Link was going to find Groose and beat _him_ within an inch of his life.

"Tell me what happened."

Fledge was half-curled into Link's lap, trying to repress his desperate sobs, but after a minute he sat up and took a deep, calming breath. "I was late this morning because I overslept." Link made brief eye contact with Zelda, but they didn't pursue it. "I mean, I went back to sleep after our shower." Then he gasped. "I didn't mean our shower, I just –"

"Relax, Fledge, I know what you meant."

Fledge attempted to smile, but it turned out as a grimace. "Anyway, so I got up and it was already past lunchtime, so I figure I'd skip the whole day. I was just relaxing in here, when someone knocked on my door. The funny thing was, I almost didn't answer it, but I decided I couldn't ignore it if it might be a teacher coming to make sure I was okay. So I opened the door, and the next thing I knew Groose threw me onto the bed, screaming all kinds of horrible things, asking if I was… you know, that way. Anyway, I told him to go away, and then he freaked out and started slamming my head into the desk and… well, you don't need to know the details."

Piper sobbed. "Why would he do that?"

"Because he's an elitist, pig-headed, self-righteous, narcissistic asshole who thinks we should all bow before his grace and majesty," Zelda snarled viciously.

Tears flowed from Link's eyes as he clung to Fledge. Groose's attack was certainly beneath the belt; if this was his way of getting even for the fight with Pipit, it had more than worked. Link had always considered the Knight Academy to be a place of honor, dignity, and ceaseless respect. People rarely argued, and almost never fought like Groose and Pipit had. They were all there for one purpose, and they were all intent upon it.

But this harsh violence woke Link up from what he realized was a childish dream. This was what the real world was like; there was plenty of underhanded violence, the likes of which he'd never had to confront before. He couldn't think of a punishment harsh enough for Groose, but he also felt guilty. He should have been expecting Groose to retaliate in some way, and should have come to Fledge to put him on guard.

Zelda's voice brought Link back to reality. "We've got to take you to Headmaster Gaepora immediately, Fledge. Groose won't be able to get away with this."

"Zelda, I don't think Groose will have just come here without planning it. I'm not sure we'll be able to prove that he was here."

She huffed. "Well, if you're going to give up, fine. If you think Fledge deserved –"

Link stood up suddenly, and Zelda shrunk back. As calm and collected as he was, Link could be intimidating when he needed to be. "Are you accusing me of saying Fledge deserved what he got?"

"No," she squeaked meekly. "I'm sorry, that was a stupid thing to say." Link nodded and sat down next to Fledge. "It's just that I think we should at least _try_." Link nodded again.

Then he turned to Fledge. "I'm really sorry about this, Fledge. This is my fault; I should have expected something like this to happen and come by to warn you."

Fledge looked puzzled. "Why is it your fault?"

"It isn't," Zelda said. "He's just being foolish. This is no one's fault but Groose's. He and Pipit got into a fight at lunch, and Pipit got off really easy but Groose got a really harsh punishment. I expect he was feeling angry about basically losing to Pipit and decided to… well, take it out on you." She looked Link over. "Link's right, though; we should have come to warn you. We didn't even think about it. I never would have thought Groose would do something like this."

"I'm not surprised," Link said bitterly.

Zelda shot a quelling look at Link. "Well, for now, we should get you to the infirmary. Why didn't you go there yourself?"

Fledge blushed. "I was doing fine on my own. I didn't want to be a bother."

"_A bother?_" Link roared furiously. "Come on, we're taking you to the infirmary." With that, he pulled Fledge's arm over his shoulders and gently rose. He felt Fledge leaning on him heavily, but Fledge took a tentative step and Link followed.

They slowly hobbled down the hall, descended the staircase with difficulty, and, with Zelda and Piper's help, made it through the double doors at the front entrance. They crossed the campus with even more difficulty. Link could tell Fledge was anxious about meeting another person, but they came across no one. When they finally made it to the infirmary building, Fledge was struggling to breathe and whimpering slightly.

Link helped Fledge into the nearest bed. Then he turned to Zelda. "We should go to Headmaster Gaepora." He ignored Fledge's noises of protest. "Piper, can you go get the Matron and then stay here with Fledge?" Piper nodded and then hurried to the other end of the long hospital room where the Matron's office was.

Zelda kissed Fledge's cheek, which made him blush. "We'll be back soon."

As soon as they had left the infirmary, Link slapped Zelda playfully on the arm. "Stop trying to seduce Fledge! He likes me!"

Zelda rolled her eyes. "Will you focus, please?"

"Sorry, sorry, just – making an observation." Zelda rolled her eyes again and Link grinned. "What are you going to say to your dad?"

"I don't know, but I'll make sure he gets the truth. There's no way Groose is going to get off." Then she stopped, groaning. "Link, I've just remembered – Groose is doing detention with Dad tonight! He'll be in there when we get there.

Sure enough, when they swung the door open they saw Groose sitting miserably in a desk facing the wall. He was writing the Knight Academy manifesto for what looked like at least the hundredth time, judging by the stack of inked papers resting beside the stack of clean papers. Headmaster Gaepora was sealing a letter in an envelope when they entered.

Groose glanced upwards and, in that moment, he and Link made eye contact. Groose narrowed his eyes, but Link gave him a look of such malice and disgust that Groose looked back down at his paper. Feeling as though he had at least one that one small battle, Link turned to Zelda.

"What's the plan?"

She looked with disgust at Groose. Then she turned to her father. "Can we have a private word?"

If Headmaster Gaepora looked surprised, he didn't show it. He nodded and then said, "Groose, wait in the hallway for a minute." Without one break in his cold façade, Groose rose instantly and left the room. Link shut the door behind him and then stood beside Zelda. For a moment, Link almost took Zelda's hand, as though they were facing some terrifying monster. "What's wrong?" Headmaster Gaepora asked seriously.

Zelda took a deep breath and glanced hesitantly at Link, who nodded. "Well, we went to see Fledge a little while ago, and…" At this point, she didn't seem to be able to find the right words, so Link took over.

"He's been beaten up. It's bad, as well. His face, arms, and neck are covered in bruises." Headmaster Gaepora didn't speak when Link stopped, so he got right to the point. "We think Groose did it."

Headmaster Gaepora sat back heavily into his chair, stroking his mustache and surveying Link and Zelda. "And is Fledge okay?"

"Yes, we took him to the infirmary. Piper's with him now."

"Why do you think it was Groose who did this?"

Link sputtered for a moment. Then, without meaning to sound impertinent, he yelled, "Because Fledge said he did!" He looked to Zelda, and nodded at her father.

"Your evidence?"

Link was flabbergasted. Why wasn't Groose already in here, being sent home? Fledge said it had been Groose, and that was good enough for Link. Why would Fledge, the boy who was quiet, kind, and soft-spoken, stage such an incident, or else try to cover for someone by blaming someone else?

Zelda took over. "Fledge said it happened after lunchtime, and Link knows that Groose wasn't in his class after lunch." Link realized as she said it how weak that sounded. This one small link was supposed to be enough to prove Groose's guilt.

"Link, would you bring in our friend Groose, please?" Link didn't know about all this 'friend' business, but he strode to the door and opened it to see Groose, looking relaxed as could be, lounging on the bench beside the door.

"Gaepora wants to see you," Link grunted, and then turned and strode back to his place by Zelda's side.

Groose shuffled in, looking dejected, and Link realized that he was putting on a show for Headmaster Gaepora. "You wanted to see me, Headmaster?" He somehow said this with misery and reverence.

"Where did you go after lunch today, Groose? Why weren't you in class?"

"I was writing a letter to my parents," Groose mumbled without hesitation. He sounded rehearsed. "I thought it better that they heard from me first about what happened at lunch."

Gaepora raised his eyebrows, Link hoped, skeptically. "Can anyone confirm this?"

"Oh yes, Headmaster. My friend Cawlin entered my room just as I finished up. He'll tell you." Groose paused. It was very convincing. "I have the letter hear, if you want to see it." With that, he reached to his bag and, before Gaepora could say differently, pulled the letter out of his bag. Link was amazed. It was real – a letter addressed to Groose's parents. Link caught glimpses of lines like 'ashamed of me' and 'blow to the family honor', placed strategically amongst a variety of apologies.

Headmaster Gaepora cleared his throat uncomfortably. "No, that won't be necessary. Thank you, Groose." Groose stuffed the letter back into his bag and shot a malicious look to Link before shuffling dejectedly out.

"He's faking it," Link said as soon as the door closed. "That whole letter is a fake. He must have written it afterwards to be part of his cover. And Cawlin is in Groose's back pocket; he'll do anything Groose says."

Headmaster Gaepora rubbed his temples. "Yes, I suspect it is farce also, but I'm afraid you have almost no evidence against Groose, and he has a very convincing alibi. At best, I'll be able to punish him for missing class. But I'll follow up by speaking with Fledge and Cawlin, and we'll see if we can find any cracks in his foundation." With that, he rose and showed them to the door. "Groose, you may return to your detention duties. If you don't meet my quota, I'll have you cleaning the lavatories in all the dorms tomorrow." Headmaster Gaepora's eyes twinkled mischievously. "Run along back to your rooms, you two. I'll see to it that Fledge is cared for."

They left the office, and Link bid Zelda goodbye, but he didn't follow the familiar path back to his dorm. Instead, his feet beat a path that even he didn't recognize for a moment. He was walking towards Pipit's house. Perhaps he was subconsciously – and consciously – craving the company of his new boyfriend. Link took delight in saying that word over and over again in his mind. With all that had happened that day, it seemed somehow less important.

And yet, to Link, being Pipit's boyfriend was the most important thing that had ever happened to him.

He had only dated one other man. He had fallen head-over-heels for Nico, the dark and mysterious stranger who had suddenly registered with the Knight Academy. He hailed from the distant land of Olympia, and his father was apparently very powerful and wealthy, though no one had ever actually seen him. They had fallen in love over the course of the school year, but Link had always felt as though the relationship had been unbalanced; Link had cared for Nico more deeply than Nico had cared for him. Nico had left at the end of the year without saying goodbye, leaving Link heartbroken.

Nico had been his first and only love, and no one could fill the void he had left in Link's heart. But now he had Pipit, and the last time he could remember being so happy had been in Nico's arms.

Link didn't realize how close he was to Pipit's house until he was standing outside the door. Of course, it wasn't really Pipit's house; it was his mother's. He probably wasn't home, either. However, Link heard the sound of two voices from inside, and it sounded as though they were arguing.

He froze, not wanting to eavesdrop, and yet he couldn't tear himself away when he realized that one of the voices was Pipit. The other voice was reedy, feminine, and sounded raspy and sore, as though the speaker was recovering from a violent cough. Pipit was shouting, "I KNOW! I GET IT! I BROKE UP WITH HER! IT DOESN'T MAKE ANY DIFFERENCE, ALRIGHT?!"

The other speaker (who Link took to be Pipit's mother) said something so quiet that Link could only just catch the last of what she said. "…being so secretive, Pipit."

Pipit groaned audibly. "Who cares if I'm being secretive? Okay, I don't want to share details of my love life with everybody! There's no crime in that!"

Pipit's mother asked, "Do you love me?"

Link could almost see Pipit's hard face soften with caring. It was an expression that suited Pipit well. He could almost see the small smile that would play across his features into his eyes, lighting up his face. "Of course I do, but this is different. I'm growing up and discovering more about myself, and I need you to give me freedom to do that at my own pace."

Pipit's mother sighed sadly. "You're right. I'm sorry for pressuring you. Take your time. I love you." There was a moment of silence, and then, to Link's alarm, it sounded as though someone was moving towards the door. He hurried away, rounded a corner, and was out of sight.

He knew that Pipit had never gotten along with his mother, and he'd often comforted Pipit after one of their arguments. Pipit had even spent a week at Link's house the previous summer after he and his mother had had a legendary fight. Link lived by himself. His father had died when he was a small boy, and his mother had left just a few months after he had been born. He had spent several years of his childhood in an orphanage on the Skyloft lower island, and had always aspired to attend the Knight Academy. This was partly because he knew it was a boarding school. In the summers, instead of returning to the orphanage, Link lived in a rather cheap one-room apartment on the east island. He wasn't legally supposed to live on his own, but he often found pity as an orphan. He only had basic furnishings and used a communal bathroom, but it was far better than the orphanage.

Link was so distracted in his thoughts that he didn't notice he'd walked all the way around the block and almost ran into Pipit, who looked unhappy. "Oh, hi Link," he said, brightening up a bit.

"Hey, Pipit! How's your mom?" Link could have kicked himself.

"My – er – my mom?" Pipit asked uncertainly.

Link tried to pass if off by grinning guiltily. "Sorry, I might have come to your house and then accidentally overheard an argument between you and your mom. She sounds sick."

"Oh – yeah. Yeah, she's just had a cold. Bad one. How much did you overhear?"

"Not much. Just something about being secretive about your love life, and then asking her to give you some space to go at your own pace."

Taking Link by complete surprise, Pipit suddenly turned and kissed him more deeply than ever before. But there was something different in this kiss; it was more passionate, needier, and more aggressive. Pipit was growling softly, as though he were a wild beast, and when Link whimpered, it only seemed to drive Pipit into frenzy. He pushed Link up against a tree, and Link wrapped his legs around Pipit's waist.

If Link had thought Pipit would try to go farther, he was, once again, surprised. Pipit kissed him ferociously, stopped suddenly, and let his forehead come to rest on Link's. They were both panting heavily, and their breath mingled between them. Link swallowed and then gasped, "What was that?"

Pipit laughed softly, looking satisfied. "Have I told you that I love you?"

"We've been dating for like two hours."

"But I've loved you for years. I always have loved you and always will love you. You know that, right?" Link nodded, startled by his assertiveness. "Good."

They walked for hours, talking about the past and the future, the sky and the surface, love and loss, and all things that seemed to matter. Skyloft had long since been bathed in darkness when Pipit sat down on a bench facing nothing but the stars, pulling Link down beside him. It was windy and cold, but Link curled up against Pipit and was warm.

Link kissed Pipit softly. "I love you," he said simply.

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Author's Note: How did you like this chapter?! Please review to tell me! It's my birthday! (It actually is though). Thanks for reading!


	6. Out of Our Misery

Disclaimer: I am in no way claiming ownership over the Legend of Zelda franchise or making money with this story. No copyright infringement is intended.

Author's Note: So this chapter sets off the three or four days that will make up the remainder of the story – this is the real conflict of the story. That jazz with Groose will be revisited, but takes the back burner for a while. Anyway, with that in mind, I hope you enjoy!

* * *

"_Either give me your hand, or end it now, and put us both out of our misery."_ – Judith McNaught

* * *

"That's it. I'm not going."

Link rolled his eyes. This was easily the tenth time Zelda had said these words in the last hour. "That's ridiculous. Plenty of people will be there alone. You actually have a pretty good chance of getting a date." Link had been talking Zelda into attending the Fall Festival, and she had been repeatedly convincing herself that she shouldn't go. Their argument was fairly circular, and Link was getting bored of it.

"No, nobody ever goes by themselves. I'll be that one person standing awkwardly by the punch bowl, making couples feel uncomfortable as they act romantic."

"Zelda, no man is going to let a pretty, young girl stand around on her own. There will be plenty of guys there. Just pick a hot one and go after him." She bit her lip anxiously. Link could tell this was bothering her more than she had initially let on.

"Fine, I'll go. But if I do end up standing by the punch bowl with nothing better to do, I'll come bother you and Pipit for the rest of the night. And I won't let you go home with him, either."

Link blushed. "Like that's going to happen. Look, we've only been dating for two weeks, and everyone already thinks we're fucking every other night. We've never gone any farther than kissing. We're just going to have a nice romantic evening, and I'll be sleeping in my own bed afterwards, alright?" Zelda grunted skeptically. "And please don't ruin it for us with this third wheel business. Pipit is having enough trouble right now – he's fighting with his mom again. He doesn't need any drama."

"Alright, alright, calm down. Now help me figure out what to wear."

"Ugh, do I have to?"

"Yes." She pulled out a hideous brown cardigan. "How would this look with a white blouse?"

"Great. Now we're done."

Zelda rolled her eyes. "Come on, be honest."

"It's disgusting. Now can we be done?" Zelda started to look indignant. "Don't bother getting attitude with me. I sat here for an hour and managed to convince you to go to this dumb party, and now you expect me to sit through another hour of fashion advice. I know I'm gay, but that doesn't mean I'm a fashion guru."

"Fine, I just won't go."

Link rolled his eyes. "Do what you want, Zelda. Unlike you, I have a boyfriend. And he's perfect." And then, because he couldn't stop himself, he said, "And we fucked last night."

She narrowed her eyes at him but grinned. "You're an asshole, you know that right?"

Link grinned back at her. "We actually did though."

"Wait – really?"

"No, of course not. That's not happening for a while. Still think I'll get fucked before you though."

She chuckled. "Let's not make it a competition."

"No," Link agreed.

They sat in companionable silence, Zelda still attempting to assemble her outfit. She had thankfully ditched the brown cardigan, and was now matching scarves to a flouncy violet dress. She was trying to decide between white or orange.

"So Pipit and his mom are fighting again? About what?"

Link frowned. "I don't really know. At first I overheard them arguing about her not giving Pipit enough freedom and because he didn't want to tell her about his love life. But ever since then, he hasn't really told me anything else about it. Like every time I ask him, he just sort of mumbles and changes the subject. I know it's still going on, though, because sometimes when I see him he's really gloomy and brooding. He was worried that she might stop him from going to the Fall Festival like Groose, but he should be able to go."

He stood up. "Speaking of my wonderful, excellent, perfect boyfriend, we're supposed to have a bit of a date, so I will be excusing myself now. Go with the orange; it's more festive." He left Zelda alone in her room and meandered out of the dorm building. The sun was setting by the time he reached the café in the bazaar, and he smiled when he saw Pipit sitting at their usual table with two coffees.

"Hey," Link said. "Sorry I'm late – I got a bit hung up with Zelda. I'm trying to convince her to go tomorrow."

Pipit groaned. "She's not still on about that?"

"I think I've got her convinced. When I left her she was picking out her outfit."

"Anything about Groose?"

"Nah, she doesn't want to ask her dad too much in case it looks like we're too eager for him to be expelled, but she said that he sounds confident that he'll find evidence against Groose eventually. The last time she talked to him, he told her to wait until he'd talked with Groose's parents, so maybe he hasn't done that yet."

"Huh. Well, they need to hurry up or else it'll be too late to punish him. Fledge may be okay, but…"

They were silent for a moment. Link sipped his steaming coffee. "We talked about you, as well."

"Aren't you always?" Pipit joked effortlessly. Link laughed.

"Well, it was actually about you and your mom. Is everything going alright? You never seem to give me a straight answer when I ask."

Pipit took a drink and fiddled with his shirt sleeve. His brow was furrowed, and he glanced around nervously every few seconds. He bit his lip, as if he were on the verge of making a very serious, very important decision. Finally, he sighed. "Everything's fine, Link. She's being a bit difficult right now, but she'll figure it out eventually. She just… she wants me to be honest about a few things that I've been trying to keep from her."

"You haven't come out to her?" Link asked sagely.

Pipit's eyes danced nervously. "Yeah," he muttered, "Something like that."

Link couldn't suppress the feeling that Pipit was concealing something from him, but he didn't want to press the issue. He sipped his coffee again, becoming aware of the now moody silence that had overwhelmed them. After several minutes of sitting like this, Pipit stood up. "Listen, Link, I really should go. I'm sorry. I'll see you tomorrow."

He walked away, but Link jumped up and caught his hand. "Wait, I'm sorry. What did I say?"

"It's nothing, Link. Really, it's nothing. I just – I just have to go."

"Pipit, stop. I'm sorry. I want you to stay here. I want to talk to you. If it was something I said, then I'm really sorry, I was just worried about you and –"

Pipit turned and kissed him softly. "It wasn't anything you said. I'll see you tomorrow. I love you."

He walked away quickly, leaving Link standing there with a cup of coffee and a kiss.

"What happened? I thought you were on a date?" Zelda asked five minutes later, when Link arrived back at her dorm room. She was sitting up on her bed and Piper was perched on her desk. They had gone quiet as soon as he'd opened the door, and Link had the suspicion that they had been talking about him. "You've only been gone for twenty minutes."

He walked woodenly to her bed and slumped down next to her. "It's hard to explain. We didn't exactly have an argument, but I asked him about his mom, and he got all gloomy, and then a few minutes later he just got up and said he had to leave."

Zelda frowned. "He just left?"

"Well, no. I apologized and asked him to stay, but he told me that it wasn't anything I'd said. Then he said he'd see me tomorrow, and then he left."

"Did he say where he was going to?" Piper asked. Link shook his head. "What did you say about his mom?"

"I just asked if everything was alright between them. He told me that she was… well, he basically told me that he hasn't come out to her yet, and I guess she's suspicious of him and trying to get him to tell her about his love life and stuff like that."

"Why would that make him so upset that he'd leave right in the middle of your date?" Zelda asked.

"Search me."

"No, it's not that, it's just… Well, it seems like he's not telling you something."

Link frowned. "Yeah, I got the feeling he was hiding something as well. He wouldn't look me in the eye, and he was acting really nervous and jumpy." They sat in silence, but none of them could come up with a reason behind Pipit's odd behavior.

"Well, I'm going to go to bed. If you haven't seen me by dinnertime tomorrow, come and wake me up."

Zelda laughed. "I've got your back, sleeping beauty." She blew him a kiss, which he caught and pretended to shove in his pants. She laughed again. "That is inappropriate."

Link rolled his eyes. "Please, like I want your lips anywhere near my dick." He blew a kiss to Piper, who caught it and tucked it safely into her pocket. Zelda frowned at her. "Bye, Piper!" Link called. "Oh, and goodbye, _you_." Link made a disgusted face and gestured in Zelda's direction. She narrowed her eyes at him as he closed the door, and he heard Piper giggle.

Link made his way back to his dorm building, trying not to think too much about Pipit. Fortunately, the perfect distraction came along, in the form of Karane. She came down the stairs as Link reached them, grinning happily to herself. When she saw Link, her grin became wider.

She walked past him and didn't say anything. Link made to climb the staircase, but stopped when he heard her call him name. She hurried back towards him. "I just wanted to say I'm sorry for all the trouble I gave Pipit."

"Oh…" Link was shocked. "Thank you."

"I just realized how rude I've been, and I was wondering if we could be friends again?" Link thought she sounded _too _sweet and _too_ apologetic.

"Um – yeah. I guess so."

"Great!" She pulled him into a hug, seemed to chuckle softly, and then abruptly turned and walked away. Link watched her retreating figure for a moment before he shook his head and climbed the stairs. In the hallway, Link saw yet another unexpected person.

"Hello, Keet! What are you doing here?"

Keet smiled at him, but Link thought he looked rather gloomy. "Hey Link. I was just here to see somebody," he said distractedly in his reedy, feminine voice.

"Oh, okay." Keet walked hurriedly past him. "Will you be at the Fall Festival tomorrow?" Link shouted.

"You know it," Keet said unenthusiastically, and then he was down the stairs and out of sight. Link frowned. It was rare for anyone to be in the dorm who wasn't a Knight Academy student. As far as Link knew, he'd never seen Keet anywhere other than the Lumpy Pumpkin on Ordon Island, where the Fall Festival was taking place in twenty-four hours' time.

Link didn't know much about Keet, but their biggest connection was that they were both gay. Keet had been out before him, though. He'd come out just over two years ago after falling in love with Nico. Keet had been gay for as long as Link could remember. He was also known to be something of a harlot; all the men Link had ever talked to had been with Keet. Lightly put: Keet had sucked more dicks that the women in Skyloft put together.

Link walked past Pipit's door and, out of habit, stopped to see if he could hear Pipit. He heard a faint noise that might have been a sob, and went to knock on the door. However, something held him back. He didn't want to hound Pipit constantly, pressuring him into divulging private information, like his mother. Even worse, he didn't want to turn into Karane, keeping twenty-four hour control of Pipit, monitoring his every move, and making every decision for him. If Pipit needed some space, Link was ready to give it to him.

He arrived in his room moments later, stripped down, and then clambered onto his bed. He lay there for hours, reflecting on the last few weeks. A lot had happened, and although his time with Pipit had been some of the happiest of his life, he couldn't help but feel as though something was different now.

As sleep overtook him, his last thoughts were that the various conversations he'd had today with Zelda, Piper, Pipit, Karane, and Keet were all linked somehow. But he couldn't think what that might be, and there would be time to worry about that tomorrow.

In the dream, Karane spoke in Keet's voice, shouting the words Pipit's mother had said. The volume increased to a roaring crescendo, crashing on his ears like an immense wave of sound, until he eventually turned away, clamping his hands over his ears. Then he saw himself, and realized that he was Pipit. Dream-Link gazed at him adoringly. _This is very weird_, Link thought. The noise had gotten worse from behind him, and he turned to see both Karane and Keet shouting at him. Then he turned a little more and saw Groose, who attempted to punch him in the face by inexplicably missed. This was followed by several more punches, but Groose missed each one, even though Link wasn't moving at all.

He turned away to come face-to-face with Dream-Link, who was trying desperately to kiss him. Dream-Link's leg wrapped around his waist, and he was somewhat disgusted. He pushed the Dream-Link away, but Headmaster Gaepora caught him and then started berating Link for ruining the best relationship Link had ever known. Zelda suddenly whispered in his ear, telling him that Headmaster Gaepora was right, and that Karane would eat him unless he took Link back. He had time to turn and see Karane wearing a bib and holding a knife and fork before the noise became too much, and he jerked awake.

It was four o'clock in the morning. In other words, too early. Link groaned, rolled over and burrowed into his blankets, and was asleep again in seconds. He slept deeply after that, and didn't have any more dreams.

When he awoke again, it was past lunchtime. Link spent most of the afternoon lying naked in his bed, reading or working on his homework. When it was time for dinner, Link figured he probably should get dressed. Reluctantly, he pulled on a clean pair of trousers and a soft baggy shirt. Sure enough, as soon as he'd finished getting dressed, Zelda knocked on his door.

"Link! It's dinner time! Get up, Sleeping Beauty!"

"I'm up," Link grumbled, trying to straighten his hair in the mirror. Then he pulled open the door to see Zelda's radiant face. As soon as she saw him, however, she wrinkled her nose and gave him a quick once over.

"You're wearing _that_ to the party?" she asked critically. "Oh no. Come on!" With that, she led him back into his own room, which was a complete mess. He nervously tried to make his bed without her noticing. She started going through his drawers, holding up various articles of clothing and either throwing them onto the bed or stuffing them back into his dresser.

Link eventually ended up wearing a pair of tight, black trousers that hugged his ass, a tight, plain, baby blue shirt that brought out the color of his eyes (according to Zelda), and white shoes. "Hair," Zelda barked, and spent the next five minutes showering his hair with various products and attentions until it was almost unrecognizable. His hair was normally messy, and it still had a slightly messy look, but it was clearly deliberate. It was swept back out of his face, and Link kept nervously running his hand through it to make sure it was still there. "Don't touch it too much," Zelda snapped. "There's only so much I can do with short man hair like yours, but I think it's cute enough."

"Okay, last thing. Put this on." She handed him a stick of deodorant, which he applied generously. When he was finished, she snatched it up and pushed his toothbrush and toothpaste into his hands. "Go brush your teeth and come back. Hurry!"

She was waiting with cologne when he returned. She gave him a few puffs, set the cologne and the toiletries aside, and pulled him into a hug. "No matter how many boys you date, you'll always be my best friend."

"Thanks," Link grinned sheepishly. "For making sure I don't look like a total idiot."

"That's what friends are for. Especially me when it comes to you." Link rolled his eyes and they both laughed before setting off. "I think dinner will be over by now. I knew you had that blue top, but it took me forever to find it. Oh well, there will be food at the party. It's supposed to last all night, so I hope you got enough sleep."

"When don't I get enough sleep?"

Zelda laughed again. "That's true. Pipit's probably already there. I saw him going to dinner and told him it might take me a while to get you ready." They made their way to the drop-off outside the Knight Academy and jumped. Zelda whistled first, with Link following just a second later. His Loftwing, Crimson, was on the mark first, though, and they left Zelda behind easily.

Link was happier here, riding Crimson through the clouds with Zelda and her Loftwing, Nayru, than he was even in Pipit's arms. What Zelda had said earlier rang true for both of them. No matter who they dated, they would always be best friends, and he knew they would always put each other first.

All too soon, they reached the island of Ordon, and Link literally landed in the party. At least a hundred people were milling around in the small plaza outside the Lumpy Pumpkin. Loud music was playing from somewhere, and the sound of so many side conversations made the noise level quite overwhelming for Link. Zelda landed next to him smoothly, and then shouted, "I told him to meet us near the entrance!" Link nodded to show that he understood, and then they began weaving their way through the crowd. "There he is!"

Almost directly in front of them stood Pipit, talking to Piper, Fado, and Fledge. Link and Zelda slid into the circle easily. "Link! I was looking for you!" Pipit kissed him. Then he looked down at Link's outfit. "Wow, we match. Zelda's work, I assume?"

Pipit was wearing black slacks and shoes, a dark blue, button-down shirt, and a pale blue tie that almost exactly matched Link's shirt. As Pipit stood there with his arm around Link's shoulders, Link felt as though they were waiting for their friends' opinions. He laced his arm around Pipit's waist happily.

"Very good. Kudos to me on the outfits," Zelda said.

"You two make the cutest couple I've ever seen," Piper shouted over the music.

"Except for us," Fado said. He grinned and kissed Piper. Pipit kissed Link again until Zelda cleared her throat pointedly. Link saw that Fledge was looking at Pipit with jealousy and nodded.

"Sorry. I forgot that you don't have a boyfriend to smother like usual."

"_Smother?_ I don't smother anyone. Except maybe you, in your sleep later tonight."

"Yeah, assuming you aren't too busy getting it on with your imaginary boyfriend."

"I could get a man here in two seconds flat."

"You didn't sound so confident about that last night."

"I didn't know how many hot, single guys would be here last night."

"Alright, well, in the meantime, I have something very important to discuss with _my_ boyfriend." Link turned to Pipit, but he wasn't there anymore. "Where did he go?"

"Who knows? Maybe you're imagining things." However, Zelda accompanied Link as they wandered into the Lumpy Pumpkin. If the music had been loud outside, inside it was glass-shattering. Link could hardly think for the noise. It was making his head throb, and he thought he might throw up. They wandered around for five minutes or so before Pipit came running up to him.

"Link!" he said breathlessly. "Sorry about that! I went to get some punch, but I – er – saw someone." The three of them walked around, stopping to talk every now and then. They saw Fado and Piper getting quite busy and decided to leave them alone, but Link took pity on Fledge, who was sitting by himself behind the Lumpy Pumpkin. The music wasn't so loud here, and he and Zelda sat down on the ground in front of Fledge. Pipit remained standing nervously, glancing around every few seconds.

They had been talking to Fledge for maybe two minutes when Pipit suddenly said, "I have to use to bathroom," and then ducked into the Lumpy Pumpkin. Link frowned and glanced at Zelda.

"Let's get to the bottom of this." He had a feeling that all of the disjointed conversations he'd had yesterday were in some way related to Pipit's absence.

She nodded. Fledge followed them into the Lumpy Pumpkin. Link looked around, trying to spot his boyfriend's distinctive figure, but there were so many people packed into the tiny space that it seemed impossible. Suddenly, Zelda tugged his sleeve. She pointed towards the bathrooms where Pipit was definitely retreating down the corridor, but Link could see he was with someone. He immediately set off towards them, Zelda and Fledge in tow. When he reached the men's bathroom, the door was swinging shut. Lunging forward, he just managed to wedge his foot in the crack, and the door closed on it painfully. However, he could now listen to the conversation within.

"Where do you keep disappearing off to?" said a reedy, feminine voice.

"I told you," Pipit said, "I'm not supposed to be here. My mother thinks I have detention again with Headmaster Gaepora."

It sounded like the two people in the bathroom kissed, but Link shook his head, unwilling to believe it.

Then the other boy moaned. "Oh, Pipit just fuck me right here." They kissed again.

"Later," Pipit said.

"No, now! I'm ready, Pipit. Let's go back to your dorm, or back to my house – my parents are here."

"No! I have to stay here for a while. I'll come find you again soon, okay?"

They kissed once again. Blood was pounding in Link's ears. Could it be true? Was Pipit cheating on him? Someone was coming towards the door. Link didn't know whether he should run for it. He looked back and saw Zelda and Fledge. They didn't know. They hadn't heard what he'd heard.

The door swung open. There stood Pipit. Behind him was Keet. And suddenly, it all made sense. It was Keet Link had overheard two weeks ago. He was behind Pipit's unexplained absences. It was obvious why Link had seen him in the dorms the day before.

For a split second, Pipit grinned at Link. Then he seemed to realize what was going on.

"Oh shit."

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Author's Note: Another cliffhanger! Sorry, but I do love the suspense. Please review and give me your thoughts on this chapter! I really hope you enjoyed, and I have you favorite and follow to read chapter seven on Sunday!


	7. Tried for Something

Disclaimer: I am in no way claiming ownership over the Legend of Zelda franchise or making money with this story. No copyright infringement is intended.

Author's Note: Short chapter today, but an important one as it covers how Link copes with Pipit's business. I hope you enjoy, and please be sure to review!

* * *

"_This is a good sign, having a broken heart. It means we have tried for something."_ – Elizabeth Gilbert

* * *

Link's mind was working overtime. He could tell Pipit was trying to do some serious thinking, but a haze seemed to have fallen over them. Keet looked over Pipit's shoulder. "Pipit, what's going on?" Pipit swore again, turned to look at Keet, and then looked back to Link again.

"Yes Pipit, please explain what is going on." His voice was deadly quiet, and he was startled to hear it, as if it had come from a seemingly empty room. He fought to keep tears out of his eyes. "Pipit, are you cheating on me?"

Fledge gasped, and the sound made Link jump. He glanced at Zelda, and she shook her head disbelievingly. Pipit looked like a cornered animal. "Link," he croaked, and then suddenly the rest followed, "I swear I was going to tell you, but I just didn't know how, and the opportunity really never came along – and then I thought I would just end it, and you'd never know, and –"

"_End what?_" Link hissed. Pipit clutched his throat as though he was choking. Link didn't want to hear anymore. He wanted to turn and run. To jump on Crimson and never look back, never think about Pipit again; never see his awful, adorable, asshole of a face.

But he didn't. He looked and Keet and was startled to see Keet glaring back at him. "Can I help you?" he asked irritably.

"I'd just like to know what the hell is going on here, and who the hell you think you are. That's my boyfriend you're talking to." Link gazed at Keet in shock.

"Are you a fucking idiot? He _was_ my boyfriend! Apparently, he's also your boyfriend. Well, Pipit? You can only have one boyfriend! Were you planning on choosing? Or did you just think that you'd be able to keep us separated for the rest of your life?" His voice sounded hysterical.

Keet looked surprised, as if the thought of Pipit cheating had never occurred to him. Link could see the gears in his brain working, putting together the pieces of the puzzle, much the same way he had moments ago. "Pipit, is that true? Are you cheating on me?"

Pipit stood for a moment as if frozen, looking from Link to Keet and back. Finally, he took a step towards Link. "I'm sorry, Link, I should have been honest with you from the start, this could have worked out so much better if –"

"_WHAT?!_" Link thundered. "YOU THINK THAT IF YOU'D BEEN HONEST WITH ME, ALL THREE OF US COULD HAVE HAD A NICE HAPPY RELATIONSHIP?! THAT KEET AND I COULD JUST SHARE?! WELL, NEWS FLASH, PIPIT, BUT THAT'S NOT HOW THESE THINGS WORK!"

"No, that's not what I –" Pipit spluttered.

"Oh, but of course! The old fallback – it's not what you meant. Well what did you mean then, Pipit? You boys are all the same. You think you can just have a happy relationship, and then go do whatever you want. You think you can just leave without saying anything, or see someone else in your free time, or –"

Link broke down, sobbing, and he turned to Zelda, who wrapped her arms around him and glared at Pipit. "Link…" He felt Pipit's hand on his shoulder and screamed.

"Don't touch me! I don't want to see you ever again, you bastard! AND YOU!" he screeched, pointing at Keet. "Who the fuck do you think you are?"

Keet looked offended. "Excuse _me_, but I was dating Pipit way before you. I was fucking Pipit while he was still coming home from dates with Karane, okay?"

"NO, IT'S NOT OKAY!"

"WELL THEN WHY DON'T YOU DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT, INSTEAD OF JUST CRYING AND RUNNING AWAY? I'll admit, I didn't know he was seeing someone else – I thought that after he broke things off with Karane and came out, he'd be comfortable announcing our relationship, but it all makes sense now. Do you even think of us as being in a relationship, Pipit?" His words were bitter. "Or am I just a fuck-buddy? Something to be played with but never loved, never cherished? Couldn't ever say you loved me, could you?"

Pipit, who looked pale and stricken, spoke softly. "I don't love you."

Keet looked as though he had been slapped. Then, a single tear fell from his cheek. "I know. I've known all along. You've never said it. You've never acted like a boyfriend. You want me in your life for sex. First you had a girlfriend who you found repulsive, and now you have this pretty-boy who doesn't know what sex is. I really am just a whore to you, aren't I?"

Pipit looked pained, but he didn't say anything, and Keet took that to be an agreement. He wiped his eyes. "Well, if that's how you feel, I have nothing else to say to you." Link watched as Keet marched past all of them, through the crowds of dancers at the end of the small hallway, and out of sight.

"Link, I –"

But Link turned and gave him the most withering glare he could muster. "You've fucked up, Pipit. Fucked up really bad. And it's on you to fix it now."

With that, he walked back through the throngs of people inside the Lumpy Pumpkin, leaving Pipit, Zelda, and Fledge behind. Outside, the noise faded as he walked further away from the building, but it was replaced by an intolerable buzzing sound that filled his head. His hands were shaking at his sides, and he felt weak and vaguely sick. Without knowing where he was going, he stumbled towards the drop-off, and, next thing he knew, had keeled off, over the edge.

It was lucky for Link that Crimson could sense his distress and was in the area, or he would likely have plummeted beneath the clouds. As it was, it was a close thing. Crimson saw his master fall from far above, and dived into a sharp descent after his limp form. Link, bleary-eyed, was vaguely aware of the Loftwing calling out, and then felt the familiar saddle in front of him. Truth be told, he was actually enjoying the freefall and the reckless feeling it brought to him, but he dutifully grasped the saddle and pulled himself on. Crimson quickly leveled out, skimming the surface of the clouds, and Link took the opportunity to fasten himself into the saddle.

Crimson flew on.

Link slipped in and out of sleep, his mind spinning deliriously. He couldn't believe what had happened. In a space of ten minutes, he'd gone from loving and adoring Pipit to hating him.

They had only been dating for two weeks, but it felt like it had been years. Of course, Link had known Pipit for much longer, and perhaps that was why they were so ready to have a relationship. Link remembered Pipit saying 'I love you' only a few short hours after they'd become official. And yet again, the small voice in his head asked, were they ready for a relationship? After what had happened, Link wasn't sure.

After he'd calmed down, he realized how foolish leaving the situation had been. Pipit probably had an explanation. Even if he couldn't defend or condone his actions, he definitely would have _something_ to say to Link. And Link knew he would have to give Pipit a chance to explain.

They were flying through low, grey clouds. He leaned forward along Crimson's neck. "Time to land, buddy."

Crimson cawed softly and flew on. A few minutes later, an island loomed out of the clouds, and Crimson dived for it gently. He fluttered to a stop and knelt, allowing Link to slip off. Link felt weak on his own legs, and fell to his knees after taking a step. Crimson heaved behind him, exhausted after such a long flight. Link patted him on the neck. "Thanks. Take a rest, okay?" Link crawled to the edge of the tiny island and looked down into the empty void of clouds. He sighed, feeling peaceful. Then he crawled back to Crimson, curled in the crook of his neck and fell asleep.

He didn't know how long he slept, but it was daylight when he awoke. The sun was setting, but the day had been hot. The few lonely trees on the island provided comforting shade. Dapple light filtered through the leaves and flitted across his face. He groaned and stretched. Crimson was gone, but Link knew he would return before long. He didn't feel any desire to leave the island.

He crawled over to the edge of the island and swung his legs over the side. There, he sat staring into the empty sky, waiting for Crimson to return. The calm he had felt was gone, and now a dull anger smoldered inside him like a campfire.

It was as he sat there, reflecting over his anger, that his mind wandered back to his first relationship. It had been just over a year since Nico had left, and he'd left Link with the same burning anger he felt now. Link had poured his heart and soul into his relationship with Nico, and he had been heartbroken and furious after his boyfriend's disappearance. He'd never quite gotten past his distress over Nico, but he'd gotten used to the ache. Pipit had left Link feeling something similar, but Link was glad he was still around so that he had someone to be angry at.

He was woken from his thoughts by Crimson's soft caw. He dropped off of the island and whistled. Crimson was beneath him in an instant, soaring away from the island. The sun dipped beneath the horizon behind them.

In his conscious state, the flight seemed much shorter, and in no time at all Crimson was landing outside Zelda's dorm. Link slid off, patting Crimson appreciatively. Link's feet beat the familiar path to Zelda's room, and he knocked hesitantly. He heard the unmistakable sound of her sliding off of her bed, and she opened the door.

"Hi, Link. Come on in." She sat back on the bed, and Link crawled beside her. She tossed aside the book she'd been reading and pulled the blanket up around them.

They sat in silence for a while. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Link felt like a dam had burst, a dam he hadn't known existed. Tears streamed down his face, but he didn't make a sound, he curled against her side, and she wrapped her arm around his shoulders. "Why did he do it, Zelda? What was he thinking?"

She sighed. "I don't know, Link. I really don't. I haven't seen him at all since last night. I went by his room earlier, but he either wasn't there or didn't want to talk to me. I know he hasn't left the island, though, because his Loftwing was flying around earlier. I supposed the kind way to look at it is that he started a thing with Keet while he was with Karane, and hadn't had the chance to break it off before you found out."

"But you don't think that's what happened, do you?"

Zelda pursed her lips. "No, I think it's more complicated than that. But I really do think he's sorry. I could practically feel his heart break last night when you screamed at him. He was going to comfort you, and when you rejected him, he looked so… lost."

"It's his own fault!" Link hissed angrily. "He shouldn't have lied to me. He was _fucking_ Keet! Fucking him, Zelda. They were having sex regularly. He cheated on Karane with Keet, and then he cheated on me with Keet!"

Link stared out of her window. Anger was reclaiming his mind.

"Link, I know what he did, and I know it was wrong, but I think you need to calm down and think about it rationally."

"Think about it rationally? What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"Don't swear at me, Link! Go fuck someone else if it's such a big deal, but no one will benefit from your sexual vengeance."

Link stood up angrily. "Fine, I will!" He was suddenly brimming with tension and excitement. His anger was roiling inside him, and he stormed out of Zelda's room, leaving her rolling her eyes. As tempted as he was to go straight to Pipit, he ignored the urge and acted on a different urge.

He found Fledge's door easily and knocked. Fledge answered after a moment, looking surprised. "Hi, Link, what did you –"

Link wrapped Fledge in a violent kiss, wrapping the other boy in his arms. Fledge was stiff and cold for a moment, but then melted into the passionate kiss. Sparks flew from their lips. The tension between them was electric. This kiss was so different from any he'd ever shared. Normally, he'd been on the receiving end of the kiss, but now he was dishing it out.

Fledge's hands twisted his hair, and Link felt his hands slipping below Fledge's belt. He cupped the other boy's ass, eliciting a gasp from him. Link felt a growing erection in his trousers, and knew Fledge must be experiencing something similar. He moaned, kicked the door shut with his foot, and pushed Fledge onto his bed.

"Link, what's going on?"

Link didn't answer. He ripped Fledge's shirt off, and his own pale blue shirt followed. His muscles rippled over Fledge's scrawny chest, and the other boy gasped, running his hands down Link's stomach. Link was on his knees between Fledge's legs, and he crawled forward to kiss the other boy again. His ears began to buzz as he tugged at Fledge's trousers, and in that moment, he felt more powerful and dominant than ever before.

"Do you want this, Fledge?" Fledge nodded eagerly. Link didn't ask himself whether he wanted it, but instead pulled Fledge's pants down, exposing his stiff cock. His hand closed around it, and he pumped it furiously while he kissed Fledge again. Fledge gasped and moaned through the kiss, but Link, instead of becoming aroused, found the noises sickening and vaguely unattractive.

He broke the kiss and trailed his tongue down Fledge's chest. He was about to take Fledge's cock in his mouth, but a strange wave of reality overcame him. He became aware of the scene as if he were watching through the window, and suddenly climbed off of Fledge, leaving him sitting expectantly on the bed, his dick throbbing.

"Oh, Goddess, I'm sorry, Fledge, but I can't do this. I'm sorry." He backed out of the room, mumbling apologies, and closed the door behind him. He became aware that he'd left his shirt behind, and then became even more uncomfortable when he realized his own cock was spilling out over the top of his pants

He stuffed it back into his pants painfully and waddled to his room, thankfully coming across no one. As soon as his door was closed, he stripped and crawled onto his bed. There, he gazed at the ceiling, ashamed and angry with himself, angry with Pipit and Zelda, feeling sorry for Fledge, and wishing he could just slip out of his life. It was in the same position that Zelda found him half an hour later, still staring at the ceiling.

"Link?" She entered the room without knocking. He blushed, realizing that he was naked, and wrapped himself in his bed sheets. Zelda was holding his blue shirt. She sighed when she saw him. "You've got to figure this out, Link. You can't make a mess of everything like this."

She sat down on the edge of the bed. Link didn't say anything, but he burrowed into his sheets further. Zelda stroked his forehead for a moment, looking anxious, and Link was struck by how motherly she looked.

"I'll always love you. You know that, right?"

Link nodded.

"And you know what else? I think Pipit will always love you as well. He's loved you for years, Link, in the same way you've loved him. I know that you can get past this."

He nodded. He knew that Zelda was right, but he wasn't going to forgive Pipit unless he worked for it. Then his kiss with Fledge broke over him, and he sobbed. He was so ashamed of himself, and so embarrassed to have lost control like he had.

"I heard what happened with Fledge," she said, as if reading his mind. "I gave you a fifteen minute head start and then followed. I figured you'd either go to Pipit, Fledge, or just come straight here. Pipit didn't answer the door again, but I found Fledge lying naked on his bed almost exactly like you were."

"And he told you what I did?" Link asked. His voice cracked, as though he hadn't used it for days. More tears escaped his eyes, and Zelda looked him over with pity.

"Yes, he told me."

"What did he say?"

"He said that you showed up out of nowhere and started to make out with him. He told me that you pulled his shirt off, took your own off, and then pushed him onto his bed. And then he told me that you started to do something rather inappropriate" (she raised her eyebrows) "but that you stopped before getting too far in. He also gave me your shirt back."

She threw the shirt into his laundry basket. Then she sighed again.

"What are you going to do, Link?"

They were quiet for a long moment. Then he said, "I don't know."

"Do you remember the good old days, Link? Before we dated anyone? Before Nico? Those were some of the best times. We didn't have any worries or stress. School was easy, and we had all kinds of free time. We didn't go to parties or get caught in awkward love triangles."

Link smiled, remembering how life had been before he'd met Nico. Probably a lot more boring, he thought to himself. "Speak for yourself," he said. "Remember when I dated Marin and broke up with her because I found out that she had a crush on Fado?"

Zelda laughed. "Yeah, I guess you're right. You were one crazy kid." She stood up. "I'm glad you're feeling better. I'm going to go to bed. You should get some sleep. And keep this in mind; even though I know you and Pipit will be okay, I don't want you to forgive him too easily. I think he's sorry for what he did, but he needs to know just how badly he messed up. And I think you should talk to Keet – he's a victim here too."

She leaned in a kissed him on the forehead. "I'll see you tomorrow, Link." She left quietly, and Link stayed curled up in the blankets, watching the ceiling. Eventually, he fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.

* * *

Author's Note: I didn't elaborate too much on Link's past with Nico because I've thought about writing a prequel concerning their relationship. Please review, and be sure to favorite and follow for more! Thanks for reading!


	8. More Than Love

Disclaimer: I am in no way claiming ownership over the Legend of Zelda franchise or making money with this story. No copyright infringement is intended.

Author's Note: I hope you enjoy! Please remember to review!

* * *

"_We loved with a love that was more than love."_ – Edgar Allan Poe

* * *

Link awoke early the next morning. The soft glow of dawn peered into the room from behind his thick curtains, and sat up and reached to open them. He perched on the edge of his bed, staring out of the window into the pink and orange sky. The sunrise was just starting, and Link suddenly rose and pulled on a pair of trousers. From there, he hastily made his way through the deserted dormitory, looking away pointedly as he passed Pipit's door.

A minute later he was sitting on the roof, gazing at the horizon. He had half a mind to jump astride Crimson and fly forever towards the sunrise, forgetting the whole business with Pipit.

He imagined finding Nico again. In his weakest moments, he's reminded himself that he and Nico hadn't fallen apart; the other boy had simply moved away. Their relationship had been perfect. Link looked back on those three months as the best of his life. Sometimes, he imaged telling Crimson to find Nico, flying for weeks to some distant land, and resuming his perfect life with Nico.

But then he shook his head, telling himself that it was just a delirious dream that could never become a reality.

Nico was gone, and Link would never find him again. He'd thought Pipit was the next Nico, someone to finally heal the wound his first boyfriend had rent through his heart, but Nico had never cheated on him. Nico had always loved him faithfully. Sure, they'd had their ups and downs, but never had Nico messed up as badly as Pipit.

The sun had risen now, and Link could feel it warming his skin. He ran his hand through his hair, shaking it out of his eyes. He took a deep breath, filling his lungs with the cool morning air.

His head was clear of sleep, and he climbed down from the rooftop slowly. He walked towards his dormitory, rounded the corner of the hallway, and froze, horrified. Fledge was walking towards him, naked except for a small towel he was clutching around his waist. He was dripping wet, and had obviously just come out of the shower. He saw Link, stopped in his tracks, did a small double take, and turned brick red. Link knew they were both thinking about what had almost happened between them the night before.

"Oh. Hi Fledge. What, uh, what are you doing?"

Fledge stared at the ceiling. "Oh, nothing. I just came from the shower." Link couldn't help but let his eyes rove across Fledge's body. He was scrawny and thin, with almost no body hair or muscle definition. He had rosy cheeks and long, wavy hair. Suffice to say, Fledge was not his type. Link was attracted to strong, stocky, muscular men with shorter hair. He didn't know what he'd been thinking the night before.

"Right." Link chuckled pathetically. "I'm, uh, probably going there now." Fledge forced a smile. "Well, I, um, I'd better go."

They walked past one another and Link stopped again. Then he turned abruptly and called out, "Fledge, wait!" Fledge stopped and turned.

"What is it, Link?"

Link sighed, searching for words. "I just want to tell you how sorry I am about what happened last night. I don't know what I was thinking. I was just stressed about the whole ordeal with Pipit, and I was pretty out of it, and I guess I thought I would use you to get back at him. That was wrong of me, and I'm sorry."

Fledge looked at him for a long moment before he sighed too. "Thank you, Link. And I also want to thank you for being so accepting. I know that you know that I like you, but I know that you don't like me. From the guys I've seen you with, I can tell that I'm not your type, and I've come to accept that. Thanks for not making things weird for me or pressuring me into decisions.

Link smiled. He patted Fledge on the shoulder, putting aside his discomfort with the fact that they were both nearly naked. "Hey, I know how you feel, Fledge. When I first met Nico, I was so confused. Coming out as gay didn't cross my mind at first, and I just had this crazy idea that we could never be together. I sort of obsessed over him, and it was one of the worst times of my life. I don't want to put you into that situation."

Fledge smiled again. "Thanks, Link. That's sweet."

"I'd hug you, but… you know…" Link's eyes travelled down briefly and they both laughed.

"That would be fantastic. But we'd better not." Fledge blushed, but Link laughed. Then, taking Fledge by surprise, Link wrapped the other boy into a tight hug. He tried to put a lot of unspoken things in that hug, and maybe Fledge understood them, because he squeezed tighter with the arm that wasn't holding his towel together.

Link broke the hug. "Well, goodbye Fledge. We should hang out sometime."

"I'd like that," said Fledge. He walked away, and Link watched him go for a moment before turning and walking to his dorm. He stopped outside Pipit's door and stared at it for a full minute. Then he raised his hand, knocked tentatively, and called out, "Pipit?"

There was no answer, but Link could hear sounds of muffled movement coming from the room within. He narrowed his eyes and shook his head. Then he angrily strode away to his dorm.

He threw himself down on his bed, his mind roiling. What gave Pipit the right to closet himself away like this after cheating on his boyfriend? Sure, Link had gone back and forth with his anger at Pipit, but how could he forgive Pipit when he wasn't begging for forgiveness? Pipit should be groveling. He should be at Link's shoulder during every waking second, apologizing for his mistake.

Link lay on his bed for hours, and the sun was high in the sky when he woke from his reverie. He tugged a shirt over his head, pulled on a pair of shoes and strode from the room. He glared at Pipit's door as he passed but didn't stop, and a minute later he was on Crimson, riding towards the Lumpy Pumpkin.

He stormed into the inn, bypassing the crowded tables and cluttered stools, stopping at the bar. Pumm, the bartender, was a portly, balding man in his late forties, with a thick moustache and thicker eyebrows that were tinged with grey. His thick hands were at work cleaning a tankard with a rag while he absentmindedly stared at the counter.

When Link approached, he greeted him jovially. "Hello there! What can I get for you, young man?"

"Oh, I'm not here for a drink," Link said irritably. "I was at that party the other day, and I ran into a boy named Keet." Link spat the name like venom. "Do you know where I can find him?"

Pumm eyed him. "Yes, he lives on an island not far from here," he said guardedly. Then he pointed a thick finger to the East. "About five minutes' flight that way."

"Thanks." Link turned on his heel and made his way back through the dining room. Crimson was waiting for him, and in no time they were approaching the island Keet called home. It was small and dingy, with a ragtag collection of impoverished sheds clustered around a small, dirty pond. Two injured Loftwings lay gasping under a sparse stand of trees, one blue and one burnt gold, and Crimson eyed them nervously as though he could sense disease on their feathers.

As Link landed beside the pond, an old woman burst from the nearest shed. She had enormous, milky eyes that topped an even larger nose, and were sheltered beneath a wild bramble of thick, grey hair. She wore nothing but a woolen diaper and was brandishing a wooden staff.

"Get away from here! Leave, demon! Keet doesn't need your corruption!" Link jumped. She was screeching, attempting to smack him with her staff, and holding her hand out as though stopping him from advancing. He dodged her stick without too much difficulty. "Stay away from our grandson! You did this to him! You made him fall victim to the curse!"

Link tried to speak, but, at that moment, Keet appeared in the doorway of the shed. "Grandma! Get away from him! Come back and finish your lunch!"

She turned blindly to him. "Keet? Is that you?"

He sighed. "Yes, Grandma."

She shrieked again and lunged towards him, flailing her stick. "Be gone, demons that possess my grandchild! Take up residence somewhere else! We don't want you here!"

"Mom!" Keet screamed. A woman appeared in that doorway that Link would have avoided if he'd seen her on the street. She wore almost as little clothing as the old woman, had several missing teeth, and her hair looked as though she hadn't washed it in the last month. She clutched a bottle of alcohol in her bony fingers.

"Mama, get in here and finish your meal! Leave Keet alone!"

The old woman's face fell, but she stumbled back to the shed, leaving Keet and Link alone. After what he'd just seen, Link didn't quite know what to say. Keet broke the silence. "What do you want, Link?" His voice was acidic.

Link shook his head. "Can we talk?"

"We're talking now. That's what we call it when two people exchange verbal communication with one another."

"Yeah, I get that, I'm not as stupid as you look."

"Really? I must look pretty good for a guy who's fucking your boyfriend."

In an instant, Link surged forward and grabbed Keet around the neck, lifting him off the ground with one hand. He spoke through his teeth. "Never think about, talk about, or come near my boyfriend ever again, or I will cut your dick off and use it to plug your asshole so that you'll never fuck anyone ever again." Link dropped him. "Do you understand me?"

Their faces were inches apart, and in that brief moment, Keet wrapped his arms around Link's head and pulled him into a deep kiss. Link was surprised for a moment, and his body responded to the kiss, but Keet's hand touched his bulging trousers and woke Link up.

He slapped Keet away from his face and shoved the other boy backwards, almost pushing him into the filthy pond. "What the hell are you doing?"

Keet looked confused. "I thought you wanted to make out."

"_What?"_

"Well, why else would you come here?"

"I need to talk to you about Pipit!" Link screamed, half hysterical. "You can have a conversation with a guy without it leading to sex, you know!"

"Okay, okay! Just calm down! We can talk!" Keet was holding the side of his face, where a sizeable bruise was blooming on his cheek. The anger between them seemed to have dissipated, replaced by a strange, unspoken understanding.

They walked away from the crowded community of hovels and entered a dense grove. It was rather peaceful. None of the outside squalor had touched the natural beauty contained here. "So," Link started, "Your grandmother thinks you have a curse."

"Yeah, she doesn't really approve of homosexuality. Though why she blames Pipit is beyond me. She's just senile."

Link laughed. "I noticed. I never knew you lived in a place like this, Keet. It's…"

"Disgusting," Keet spat bitterly.

"Different," Link corrected generously. Keet rolled his eyes. They walked. "Listen, I wanted to ask you about Pipit, since you're in sort of the same boat as me." Link glanced over Keet involuntarily. He wasn't unattractive, with a lean body, light brown hair and fair skin.

"If you take out the fucking."

Link's eyes narrowed momentarily. "Yes. If you take out the fucking. Anyway, I just wanted to clear the air with you."

"You basically want to make sure I'm cool with it if you and Pipit get back together?"

Link shifted uncomfortably. "Um, yeah. Something like that."

Keet sighed. "Listen, Link, it's clear from the other night that Pipit doesn't love me. But I think he does love you. I think it's best for everyone if you take him back."

"Woah! Slow down there! I'm not saying anything about taking him back. I just want us to be on the same page before either of us talk to Pipit again. I'm sorry about what happened, but I have no control over that. And honestly, I'm not sure that I want to take Pipit back, after the way he's been such an asshole. To me _and _you."

Keet smiled gratefully. "Link, I'm going to be honest with you. I was kind of planning on breaking up with him soon anyway. I mean, I was pretty upset when he wouldn't make our relationship official. I realize now that that was because he loved you, but at the time, I just thought it meant he had some major commitment issues." Then he lowered his voice to a conspiratorial whisper. "And, honestly, I don't like being a bottom. I mean, in sex, it's great, but in a relationship it fucking sucks. Especially when your boyfriend can't commit because he's got another man on the side."

Link was a little uncomfortable with the way Keet talked about him, but he chose to ignore it.

"So you want to be the top so that you don't have to worry about your boyfriend?"

"Does that make me a bad person?" he asked guiltily.

"I don't think so. I mean, I guess I'm assuming that you aren't planning on finding a really caring guy and then cheating on him when his back is turned."

Keet put his hands in the air. "Look, I didn't know Pipit was cheating on you, okay? It's like you said earlier; we're both in the same boat in this situation. And of course, I'm not going to cheat on my next boyfriend, I just want to find a guy who worries about me, instead of the other way around."

Link was confused. "Keet, I think you're over thinking this. Relationships aren't as defined as you're making them out to be. If you want to be a bottom in sex but a top in the relationship, just do it."

Biting his lip, Keet looked him over. "You know, Link, you're a great guy." Link shifted awkwardly, blushing.

"Thanks?"

"You're clearly a caring and devoted boyfriend. You're probably always worrying about Pipit and stuff? And you fit all that stuff. I mean, you're a bottom, but you're pretty manly."

"Where are you going with this, Keet?" There was a warning in his voice.

"Well, it's sort of perfect, isn't it? We were both with the same guy, and he betrayed us. How would you like to hook up sometime?"

"No way! I knew you were going there. Can you think about anything other than your dick?"

Keet narrowed his eyes. "Listen, Link, I'm just trying to find a solution for both of us. And anyway, it's not my fault that you have no experience with boys."

"I've done things!" Link said, scandalized. "Just because I'm still a virgin doesn't mean that I'm some innocent schoolgirl. Besides, I'm only seventeen."

"Right. When was the last time you went farther than a kiss."

Link blushed. His mind went back to the night before with Fledge. "Last night," he muttered.

Keet's jaw dropped. Then he smiled slyly. "You dog! I underestimated you! Who was it?" Link's mind reeled. Their conversation had no direction, and he was becoming more and more confused.

"Um, it was – Fledge."

"Who?"

They stared at one another. Link couldn't believe there was a man Keet didn't know about. "He's one of my best friends. He came out a couple of weeks ago because he had a crush on me."

"Why don't I know who that is?"

"Fledge sort of flies under the radar."

"What did you do with him?"

Link blushed again furiously. "I – er, well – I almost gave him a blowjob."

"So would you say that he's a top?"

"Well – er – he doesn't seem like it," Link muttered awkwardly.

"But you almost gave him a blowjob?"

"Does receiving a blowjob make you a top?"

Keet rolled his eyes. "You have a lot to learn, Link. But yes, in some context, receiving a blowjob does indeed mean he's a top. But I'll have to meet him to be sure. Can you set us up sometime?"

"Well, I guess I could bring him to the Lumpy Pumpkin tomorrow. Can you be there after school?"

Keet's eyes gleamed hungrily. "Yes. I'll be here. Is he hot?"

Link ignored the question. "Keet, the reason I came out here to talk to you was to make sure you've moved on from Pipit. You'll be okay with it if I do decide to take Pipit back?"

"Sure, Link. Do what you want with him. He's a filthy cheater who doesn't deserve a boyfriend like you, but if you want to take him back please don't let me stop you. I think you two make a cute couple. And it totally makes sense, because you were best friends for years."

Smiling gratefully, Link started walking towards the edge of the island that was just visible through the trees. "Thanks Keet. That means a lot to me."

"I'll see you tomorrow, Link."

Link took a step backwards and dropped away from the island. He whistled, and Crimson appeared beneath him. Together, they flew away from the island. Link looked back to see Keet sitting with his legs over the edge, staring out into the sky. He saw the houses where Keet lived beyond the trees, and he felt insurmountably sorry. All Keet wanted was love. He didn't deserve to live in such squalor.

Link dropped into the plaza of Skyloft and made his way towards the café in the bazaar where he knew Piper worked. Sure enough, she was clearing a table near the door as he entered. "Link! Where have you been? I haven't seen you since the Fall Festival!"

"Hi Piper. I was just talking to Keet."

She gasped. "Oh my goddess, I heard about what happened with him and Pipit. I'm so sorry. I thought Pipit was better than that, but he turned out to be a real asshole. What are you going to do now? Are you going to give him another chance?"

Link sighed. "Honestly, I don't know. I'll just have to talk to him and see. You haven't seen him, have you?"

"No, we think he's been in his room since Saturday night. Luckily for him we have today off, but Zelda says that if he doesn't show up for school tomorrow she'll make him come out."

"Don't worry about that. I'm going to talk to him tonight."

Link turned and found himself face-to-face with Karane. "Hi Link," she said acidly, narrowing her eyes and smirking. "I couldn't help but overhear that you've been talking to Keet. So did you find out that he was fucking your boyfriend?"

"Yes, I did." Link narrowed his eyes. "He was fucking my boyfriend when he was your boyfriend as well."

"Oh, I know Link. I've talked to Keet as well. Five days ago, to be exact." Link's jaw dropped. He took a step backwards. "That's right, Link."

"You knew. You knew, but you didn't tell me." Karane nodded. "And I thought you made up with me, but you were just waiting for this." She nodded again. "YOU BITCH!"

Link slapped her with all of his strength. She screamed. "You can't hit a girl!"

"FUCK YOU! I'M GAY, I CAN DO WHATEVER THE FUCK I WANT!"

She lunged at him and wrapped her hands around his throat, throttling him. He choked and spluttered, raking at his neck desperately. She screamed again. He ripped at her hair, and threw himself on top of her. "I can't believe you knew about Pipit and Keet, and you didn't tell me!"

She shoved him backwards and kicked him in the balls. "You stole my boyfriend! If it wasn't for you, Pipit and I would still be together!" She pounced atop him.

"Karane, get over yourself! I didn't steal your boyfriend, okay! If Pipit's gay, that's his problem. If he loves me over you, that's his deal. Not yours, not mine!"

"I don't believe it. You still love him!"

Link punched her in the ribcage and threw her to the side. Then he stood up, straightening his shirt with as much dignity as he could muster. "Whether I do or don't is beside the point. He doesn't love you anymore, and you need to accept that."

She coughed violently and looked up at him. For a moment, Link thought she was going to apologize. "Fuck off, Link. Pipit doesn't love you either."

His eye twitched, but he turned and strode from the scene without a backward glance.

* * *

Author's Note: So. How do you like Keet so far? I hope you had as much fun reading as I did writing! Please review, and remember to favorite and follow for more!


	9. Only Love Enough

Disclaimer: I am in no way claiming ownership over the Legend of Zelda franchise or making money with this story. No copyright infringement is intended.

Author's Note: Here it is! This is a fun chapter, and I hope you love it!

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"_If you could only love enough, you could be the most powerful person in the world."_ \- Emmet Fox

* * *

Link barely contained his anger as he walked to his dorm. What gave Karane the right to lie to him about Pipit and Keet. Why hadn't she told him as soon as she'd found out? They had been friends for years. How could that friendship have shattered over the course of two weeks?

His anger boiling inside of him, he reached Pipit's room in no time at all. He slammed the door with his fist. "Pipit, I know you're in there!" There was no noise from inside. Link tried the doorknob, but it was locked.

"Pipit, you come let me into this room right now, or so help me I'll break the door down!"

From within the room came the sound of Pipit rising from his bed, and a moment later the lock clicked and the door swung open. Link gasped. Pipit looked awful. He was wearing only underwear, he had enormous bags under eyes that were bloodshot, and his hair was at once matted and frizzy, so that he looked like an unkempt clown. From what Link could see, his room was worse. There was garbage littering the floor and desk. It was dark, the only light coming from a nearly finished candle that burned hesitantly on his dresser.

"Hi Link. I'm surprised you wanted to see me."

As angry as he was, he couldn't help but feel bad for Pipit. "Pipit, we need to talk. I've just come back from talking to Keet about this whole mess."

Pipit looked horrified. "What did he say?" Only then did he seem to realize that he was almost naked. Link noticed too, and had to restrain himself from reaching out and running his hands along the other boy's muscle, until he realized that he was openly staring at Pipit's stomach. He blushed, looking around awkwardly to avoid Pipit's eyes. "Why don't you come in, Link?"

Link followed him into the darkened room. Pipit nervously pulled on a pair of trousers while he tried to shove some of the tissues and wrappers beneath his bed with his foot. "Sorry about the mess," he said, chuckling weakly.

He sat down heavily on the bed, and Link sat down next to him. "Pipit… I'm sorry about the mess we're in. I went to talk to Keet because I needed to know his side of the story. He doesn't want you back."

"I don't want him back," Pipit said bravely.

"He told me it would be easiest if I took you back." They held eye contact for a full minute in silence, and then Pipit bowed his head.

"You aren't going to do it, though, are you?"

Link sighed, trying to keep the tears from his eyes. "I don't see how I can, Pipit. How can I trust you again? I mean, it wasn't as though you were getting bored of me, were you? Why didn't you break it off with Keet after you and Karane split up? I guess I just don't understand why you did what you did."

"I promise that I can explain, Link. Will you let me?"

Link settled onto the bed. He considered for a few moments before nodding tentatively.

"Okay." Pipit took a deep calming breath. "Let me start at the beginning. I was introduced to Keet at the end-of-exams party we had last year. I'd seen him around before, but never spoken to him. That was when I was beginning to question my relationship with Karane and my own sexuality, and Keet seemed like a perfect way to explore. By the end of the night, he was telling me about all the times he'd hooked up. We were drunk, and so I asked him if maybe we could hook up sometime.

"A few days later, I came home to find Keet in my room. He gave me booze, and I didn't question what was happening. Before long, we were both naked and he was on top of me. I don't remember what happened next, and from then on we were meeting almost every night. As I learned, I became more sure of my sexuality, and my new confidence brought me dominance.

"During the time we were meeting, I know that he hooked up with plenty of other men, but I felt so trapped by Karane that it felt as though there was nowhere else to turn. Karane started to become suspicious, so I tried to break things off with Keet, but he threatened to out me in front of Karane.

"Eventually I received my invitation to attend the seminar, and I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to clear my head and come up with a way to make everyone happy. I knew that if I broke up with Karane, Keet would practically force me to make our relationship public, so I had to get her to break up with me. Making her think I was cheating on her with Orielle was part of a plan I came up with to turn her against me, and it worked beautifully. I used the trauma of the breakup to delay coming out with Keet, but that's when you come in."

"Me?" Link was transfixed by his story. "What did I do?"

"You made me fall in love with you. I was going to start a relationship with you, let Keet find out, and hope that he broke up with me so –"

"Wait, what? You – you _used_ me?"

"No, let me finish."

"Hold on, Pipit! You just told me that you were planning on using me to make Keet break up with you!"

"I know, Link, and I'm so sorry! But then I fell in love with you! I didn't think I would be able to, because we've been friends for so long, but you made me realize that there's more to being gay than sex. You were my first real relationship with a man, and I was happier than I've ever been with any girl.

Link bit his tongue to let Pipit continue.

"The thing is, Link… I'm not really comfortable breaking up with people. I tried to summon the courage to tell him that we were in a relationship, but I just couldn't do it. I made as many excuses as I could, and eventually we had a huge argument about it. That's what you overheard. From then on, he became more and more demanding. He would try to catch me off my guard, and it became harder and harder to spend time with you.

"I don't know what I thought would happen. I guess I hoped that it would eventually resolve itself. I thought that maybe Keet would get bored with me, or maybe I would finally work up the courage to stand up to Keet. Anyway, Link, I want you to know that I chose you. I know what I did was wrong, and there were so many things that I could have done better to end this without the drama, but I really want you to know that I chose you at the end of it all. I still choose you. Keet and I are over, and that's the way it's going to stay. If you'll take me back, then you'll be the only man for me."

Pipit took Link's hand with both of his, and a single tear fell from his eye.

They sat there for years, or maybe it was just seconds. Link felt as though they were suspended in time, and that what he said next was a decision that would affect both of them more than they realized. He struggled with himself more in that one moment than he ever had before in his life. What did he do? As much as he wanted to kiss Pipit and hold him and never leave him again, Link knew he shouldn't be so quick to forgive.

Tears were in his eyes, but he forced himself to hold them back. He stood up and looked out of the window. He didn't want to, but he spoke. "I – I don't think – I don't think I can answer that right now." He pulled his hand out of Pipit's and walked to the door.

"Link, I…"

Pipit was at a loss for words, and Link could hear the desperation and heartbreak in his words. "Goodbye, Pipit." He knew it sounded both melodramatic and uncomfortably final, but he couldn't manage anything else.

As Link walked away from Pipit's room, he felt as though he was leaving some inexplicable part of their relationship. Whatever they became after this – friends, enemies, or lovers – they had lost something today.

Link's feet beat the worn path to Zelda's dorm, and she was waiting for him when he arrived. "I knew you'd be here eventually." He didn't say a word, but wrapped her into a tight embrace and let his tears flow. There were more tears than he'd ever shed before, and as he stood there, burying his face into Zelda's sweater, it was as though he could release the woes of the world through his grief.

Eventually, she pulled away from him and led him to her bed. He gasped and moaned through his tears, sitting beside her and holding her closer than ever. "Link, tell me what happened."

His lip quivered for a moment, and then it was like a spark hit a dry hay bale. "This morning I ran into Fledge when he was almost naked and dripping wet after having just gotten out of the shower. It was unbearably awkward and I almost chickened out, but I turned and apologized for being such a dick to him last night. Then he went and told me all this shit about how hard it was for him to come out, and that he didn't want things to be weird because he had a crush on me, so now he's all cute and feel even worse for fucking around with him.

"Anyway, after I went to see Fledge, I decided that I needed to talk to Pipit so that I could get his side of the story. You told me last night that he was victim too, and it turns out you were right, because he was totally pissed at Pipit and he told me that he was totally cool with me taking him back. Oh, and guess what! He lives in total squalor! He has this fucking shed that he lives in with at least his mom and grandma, who thinks he's the devil because he's gay. Honestly, if you're grandma hates you because you're gay maybe you should stop sucking dick so much and do something that isn't totally whore. She thought I was Pipit and tried to attack me, and then Keet was a total asshole so I tried to attack him, and then he tried to make out with me!"

"What?"

"Yeah! He said that he thought I went to see him so that we could hook up or some shit like that! Anyway, after I told him that that wasn't what I was looking for, he made me feel guilty about how bad his house is and then I ended up on his side somehow. Then he started hitting on me, and I sort of accidentally told him about Fledge, so now I have to take Fledge to the Lumpy Pumpkin after school tomorrow to introduce the two of them."

Zelda bit her lip. "Link, I don't know if Keet is the best –"

"I know. Keet is an awful person. I know, Zelda. Anyway, apparently we're friends now for some fucking reason. Speaking of friends, I saw Piper, and then I fucking saw that bitch Karane. Guess what, Zelda? Karane knew that Pipit was cheating on me! Yeah! She found out five days ago, and then she came up to me the day before the party and acted all friendly and shit, and secretly she was just waiting for me to find out that Pipit was cheating! She could have said something, like a friend would have done. But I should have known. I should have known she couldn't forgive me for stealing Pipit from her!

"So we got into a fistfight in the middle of the bazaar, but I got the fuck out of there because I'm not wasting another second of my life on that bitch. Then I went to Pipit's which was a mistake because I was pissed as fuck. I slammed on the door and forced him to come out. He's a total mess, Zelda! I don't know what he's been doing, but there's garbage all over his floor, his hair is a wreck, and he only had pants on when he opened the door. Holy shit he is so fucking attractive."

Link sighed, gazing at the wall absentmindedly for a moment. Zelda cleared her throat.

"Anyway, I gave him the chance to explain himself, and he basically told me that he tried to use me to try to break it off with Keet."

"Oh my Goddess, Link, I'm sorry!"

His eyes watered. "Yeah, but he sort of made up for it by saying that he didn't have the balls to tell Keet."

Zelda narrowed her eyes, confused. "What? That doesn't make any sense."

Link sighed again dreamily. "No, it just means that he loved me too much to hurt me."

"No. No, no, Link. I think you may have diffused too much of your anger telling me about what happened before you talked to Pipit. You're still supposed to be angry with him. From the sound of it, he was a total asshole and used you to get what he wanted! That's not romantic!"

"Zelda, what are you talking about? Are you listening to me?"

"No, Link! You need to listen to me! What the hell is wrong with you? You need to be angry with Pipit!"

Link started to cry. "Okay Zelda! I'm just trying to forget about this whole fucking day, alright? It's too fucking much, okay? I'm sick of it. I want to go back to before the stupid fucking festival! Before all this shit happened!"

He curled up against her, wrapping his arms around her waist. She stroked his hair softly after a moments' hesitation. "I know, Link, and I'm sorry. You've gone through so much in the last few days, and you deserve a break. Let's get you back to your room, alright? Get a good night's sleep, and I'll wake you up before school tomorrow."

Zelda pulled him up off of her bed, and the two walked slowly back to Link's dorm in companionable silence. She pulled him into another hug at the door. "I'll see you tomorrow, Sleeping Beauty." He sighed into her hair, not wanting to let her go. Zelda broke the hug and ensured Link was comfortably sitting on his bed before closing the door behind her.

His mind was exhausted, and he felt as though his thoughts were coming to him through a heavy fog. He slowly took his clothes off and absentmindedly tidied his room for a while until he could hardly keep his eyes open any longer. After turning out the light, he curled beneath his sheets and was asleep in an instant.

When he woke up the next morning, he knew he was very late for class. In fact, he found out a moment later when he lurched upright and checked the clock, it was past lunchtime. He sat for a moment, forcing his mind to work as he wrestled with the decision to skip class, and eventually decided that the day was shot already and he might as well make the most of it.

He felt strangely calm after the events of the previous day, and he took his time showering, choosing a good outfit, and doing his hair. After thoroughly brushing his teeth, Link stood in front of the mirror admiring himself. He hadn't been this ready on the first day of school. The trouble was, he didn't know what he was ready for.

Making his way out of the dorm, he saw a person he usually liked to avoid coming down the hall.

Groose was lumbering along the hallway, looking as arrogantly at ease as usual. He froze when he saw Link, and Link got the feeling he wasn't where he was supposed to be.

"What're you doing there, Groose?" he called jauntily.

"None of your business," he grunted.

"Surely you should be in class. You are on probation, after all."

"I said shut up!" Groose growled menacingly.

"What are you going to do, beat me up?" Link narrowed his eyes. "Or have you played that card already? Couldn't slide in another excuse like last time? Should have saved your _fists of fury_ for someone more deserving, like me?"

Groose scoffed. "If you're talking about Fledge, he deserved what he got. You can't be a fucking queer like that and expect to get away with it. Someone has to take action eventually. This time, that was me. I did what anyone else would do."

"_What?!_" Link trembled with rage, spitting through his teeth. "Is that how you've justified this to yourself? That you _did your duty_? You're sick, Groose, and twisted. Oh, and you _deserve _this." With that, Link stepped forward and punched Groose squarely in the nose with all of his might, feeling a satisfying crunch. Groose screamed, clutching his nose with both hands as blood gushed from it. Link wasn't finished. He planted his foot squarely between the other boy's legs, causing Groose to heave and fall to the ground. Link spat on him.

At barely more than a whisper, he hissed, "If you ever touch any of my friends again I will kill you."

He left Groose curled there pathetically clutching his balls, blood spurting from his broken nose. He knew he faced at best detention and at worst expulsion, but he didn't care. It felt good to vent some of his anger at Karane and Pipit, not to mention Groose himself.

It was a beautiful day, and as Link strode out into the breezy afternoon air he filled his lungs with the sweet scent of autumn. The trees of Skyloft were a spectacular display of brown and orange, and as he walked the leaves crinkled beneath his feet. He made his way along the edge of the island, still buzzing with anger from his encounter with Groose, but he was able to relax as the open air whipped around him. Standing there at the edge of the island, looking into the empty void of the sky, Link felt free.

After enjoying himself for a time, Link walked alongside the river towards the Plaza. As he crossed a small stone bridge the spanned the waters below, he saw Peatrice walked towards him, looking distraught and angry.

"I hope you know what you've done to Karane, Link!" she cried.

"What I've done?" Link asked with the absentminded air of one talking to a child.

"She's a total wreck! She's in love with Pipit, Link! Why can't you see that? Why are you insisting on keeping them apart like this?"

Link laughed. "Peatrice, I don't know what Karane has been telling you, but I'm not keeping them apart. In case you haven't noticed, Pipit and I aren't exactly together at the moment. I sort of caught him cheating on me."

"You tore them apart to begin with, and you keep leading him on and toying with him! Why, Link? Just stop, and we can all be friends again."

Link was losing his good mood and anger-fueled buzz. "Peatrice, you don't know what you're talking about. Right now, it's time for you to make a choice. You can either continue to hang out with Karane, eat the bullshit she feeds you, and live a lonely, unfulfilling life, or you can see sense and hang out with us again."

He flashed his brightest, broadest, and most fake smile before walking past her into the Plaza. However, she called to his back as he walked away, "This isn't over, Link! Karane isn't happy!"

Link stopped, irritated, and turned on heel. "Peatrice, honey, read my lips. I…don't…give…a…fuck."

As he said those words, a bell rang from the Knight Academy. He turned back around and strode towards the sound. It was time for him to pick up Fledge.

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Author's Note: WOO! So, tell me what you thought in a review, please! I love all you guys, and your support makes me smile whenever I think about it. Be sure to favorite and follow if you like the story! Thank you so much for reading!


	10. Reason Cannot Know

Disclaimer: I am in no way claiming ownership over the Legend of Zelda franchise or making money with this story. No copyright infringement is intended.

Author's Note: Here it is! The second-to-last chapter! This is actually one of my favorites.

* * *

"_The heart has reasons that reason cannot know."_ – Blaise Pascal

* * *

As he approached the school building, students came flooding from out of the main doors, milling around in crowds or walking back to their dorms or towards the town. Link ascended the steps and entered the building, weaving his way through the throng. His argument with Peatrice had left him fuming, and he angrily pushed his way through a couple who were clearly about to kiss.

Ignoring the angry shouts that followed him, he found Zelda's classroom quickly. She was packing her belongings into her bag when he arrived. He wove his way through the desks and stood beside her. "Do you know what just fucking happened to me?" he seethed through gritted teeth.

She stopped, concerned. "What's wrong?"

"Fucking Peatrice just walked up to me and told me to let Pipit go so that he and Karane would fall in love again." He kept his voice down to avoid attracting the attention of the professor. "She was like, 'Why are you doing this? Just let him go and things can go back to normal again!' Bitch." He spat the last word.

"I'm sorry, Link. I figured she'd take Karane's side in all this."

Link scoffed. "Then she needs to get lost and stay gone, instead of trying to reunite us all with this 'It'll all be back to normal' bullshit."

"I know, Link. I agree, but Peatrice always has liked a little drama."

Diffusing his anger through a long sigh, Link said, "Well anyway, I need to find Fledge."

"Oh, he should be this way." Link followed Zelda out of the room.

They'd hardly turned the corner when they ran into Headmaster Gaepora, who was holding a sheaf of papers and looking triumphant. "Ah! I was hoping I'd meet you two on the way back to my office! Follow me, if you like!" Link and Zelda exchanged looks of mutual confusion before turning and walking after the Headmaster, who was marching away in the other direction.

Soon, the two friends found themselves approaching Gaepora's office. He beckoned them in and closed the door behind them as they entered. Link reminded himself that he was supposed to be finding Fledge, but whatever the Headmaster had to tell them seemed important.

Headmaster Gaepora lowered himself into his chair heavily, sighing. Then he reached into a drawer beneath his desk and ruffled through it for a moment before pulling out a single sheet of paper. Link eyed the sheaf of papers he had been carrying, and saw the words _Skyloft Knight Academy: Student Disciplinary Report_ emblazoned across the top. Link realized that this was likely to be about Groose, and his suspicions were confirmed a moment later.

"As you two probably remember, an incident occurred a few weeks ago involving Fledge, for which no one received punishment." Link glanced over at Zelda, but she was watching her father closely.

He continued. "You alerted me of your suspicions concerning one particular student, however, and new evidence has recently come to light which, I believe, confirms his guilt. I am, of course, talking about Groose."

"You proved that he did it?" Zelda shouted excitedly.

"Well, not at first. I found a hole in his alibi that caused me to dig further. In short, it seems as though the letter that Groose wrote to be sent to his parents never actually reached them. In fact, the janitor of Groose's dorm told me in confidence that she saw the letter as recently as two days ago while emptying out Groose's garbage can. Yesterday, I flew to Groose's parents' house, and found that they have not received a letter from their son since school began, over three weeks ago.

"After I returned to Skyloft, I decided to speak with Cawlin, who Groose cited as a witness to his letter writing. Cawlin was not in his room, but his roommate, Stritch, answered the door. Knowing that Stritch was also a part of Groose's gang, I decided he would do.

"He invited me in, and I asked him what he knew about the incident with Fledge. He stuck to the story at first, but I could tell he was lying. He refused to look me in the eye, and was focused intently on smoothing out his bedspread. While he was speaking, I noticed a strange map on Stritch's desk and recognized one of the islands as the home of Groose's parents.

"When I asked to see the map, Stritch became hysterical. Eventually, he calmed down and admitted to me that Groose was responsible for the incident involving Fledge. He also told me that Groose was planning on repeating his actions today with another student."

"Who?" Link asked curiously.

"You, Link. Stritch told me that Groose's sister's birthday is today, and he was planning on returning home for the day to attend her party. From there, Groose would use a series of friends' Loftwings to complete the return journey in a much shorter amount of time than it would normally take. He would take advantage of this extra time to attack you after school got out while enjoying the protection of his valid alibi.

"A series of friends' Loftwings?" Zelda repeated, confused.

"Yes. Loftwings get tired, and fly more slowly over time. When travelling long distance like those that separate us from Groose's family, they require rests just as any of us would. Groose had given Stritch a map of islands that vaguely followed the route from here to his home island, and was planning to have friends stationed strategically so that he could complete the journey without having to stop to allow his Loftwing to rest. It really is quite an ingenious plan, actually."

"What's going to happen to Groose?" Link asked eagerly.

"Oh, he will be expelled from the Knight Academy without question. Public brawling is one thing, but severely beating another student is illegal. Groose is of age; he will be tried as an adult."

As Headmaster Gaepora said this, a loud knock at the door made Link jump. "Zelda, could you get that?" Zelda swung the door open tentatively, and the most enormous man Link had ever seen muscled his way into the room, pulling the dwarfed Groose in tow by the shoulder. When he spoke, his voice was deeper than a bass drum.

"Here he is, Headmaster."

Headmaster Gaepora smiled. "Thank you, Darius. Have you met my daughter Zelda and her friend Link?"

"I've spoken to Zelda before," he nodded to her. She smiled back, looking queasy. "However, I don't recall meeting Link before." He extended an enormous hand and shook Link's vigorously. "Well, I'd best be off."

Headmaster Gaepora stood up. "It might be better for you and Zelda to leave also, Link." He maneuvered around Darius and opened the door. Link and Zelda squeezed past Darius on the opposite wall and left the office. Darius followed them out.

"I graduated a two years ago," Darius said amiably as they walked down the now-deserted hallways. He seemed to take up half of the hallway with his enormous muscles. "I became a Knight, but I was never very comfortable on a Loftwing because of my size, so I went into security instead."

"You don't have a Loftwing?" Link asked, surprised. He didn't know it was possible to be without a Loftwing. "Oh no, I have one, I just don't ride him very often. I live on the very edge of the island, and my back porch is open to the sky, so he comes by occasionally to check up on me and such."

They had reached the front of the school, and Darius said goodbye to them before lumbering off. Link raised his eyebrows, looking at Zelda. "Weren't you looking for Fledge?" she asked.

Link gasped. "You're right! Thanks for reminding me – I'm really running late."

He took off in the direction of the dorms, Zelda walking beside him. "Am I allowed to ask why you're late?"

"I have to take Fledge to Keet, remember?" She made a noncommittal noise and they continued on in silence for a few moments before Link narrowed his eyes. "Where were you this morning? I thought you were supposed to wake me up before school?"

Zelda laughed. "Well, I did go to try and wake you up, but you were exhausted. I knocked on your door for about ten minutes, and I finally just went in and you were still out cold. I spent another few minutes try to wake you up – I yelled at you and slapped you in the face but you just moaned and waved your hand around. I finally decided that you could use the sleep, and I still ended up being almost late for class."

"Oh. Well, thanks for trying to wake me up."

"Don't worry about it, Sleeping Beauty."

By this time, they had reached Fledge's dorm, and Link knocked softly. After a moment, there were sounds of movement from within and the door swung open. Fledge stood before them, looking unusually well-dressed in tight pants and a baggy sweater. He smiled nervously.

"Oh, hi Link! What's up?"

Link glanced over him appraisingly. "Hi Fledge. You look great. Are those new pants?"

Fledge chuckled nervously. "No – I – uh – I've had them for a while. A few years, actually. I guess I've just never worn them before."

"Well, they're cute. Come on, we're late." He grabbed Fledge's hand and pulled him through the door.

Zelda closed the door and then turned to yell, "I'll see you later, Link!" He and Fledge continued on down the hallway and left the building through the wooden double doors.

"Link, where are we going? What are we late for?"

Link let go of Fledge's hand and walked beside him towards the edge of the island. "Fledge, I have an idea that I want to float by you, and don't freak out until I've finished, okay?"

"Okay…" he agreed apprehensively.

"I met a pretty cool guy the other day. He was funny and cute, and – well – he's looking for a boyfriend."

"What?!" Fledge stopped in shock. "Link, are you trying to set me up with someone? Is this because I had a crush on you? Because I swear I'm over it. It was just a crazy dream that was never going to happen, and you really don't need to do this, because I –"

"Fledge! Relax, alright? I just mentioned you in passing, and he was just interested in meeting you. That's all that's happening here, okay? We're just going to meet him. Nobody is asking you to do anything except have a friendly conversation."

Fledge took a deep breath. "Why are you taking me to see this guy? What's his name?"

"It just seemed like the two of you were perfect for each other. His name is Keet."

"Wait a minute! Isn't that the guy Pipit cheated on you with?" Fledge had started walking again, and they were nearing the drop-off.

"Fledge, why don't you just come with me to see what happens?"

He looked nervous, but Link pulled him over the side. They fell gracefully towards the clouds, and Link whistled softly. In an instant, Crimson was beneath them and they were careening away from the island. Link turned to Fledge and saw that the other boy had his mouth clamped shut and his eyes firmly closed. Link didn't know if he was breathing, but he was pale and green at the edges, so Link decided to let him be and instead pray that Fledge would be able to refrain from throwing up until they reached land.

Link's shirt was spared, however, and a few minutes later they landed easily on Pumpkin Landing. Fledge slipped off of Crimson and immediately fell to all fours, shaking and heaving. After a few deep breaths, he got himself under control and stood up tentatively. After Link had ensured that Fledge would survive, they made their way towards the Lumpy Pumpkin.

The pub looked remarkably different than it had on the night of the Fall Festival, and Link could hardly believe that had only been three nights ago. The inside was comprised of the small collection of tables that formed the dining area, a makeshift stage against the wall for musicians, and the bar itself. A staircase lead to the balcony.

Link scanned the room and spotted Keet on the upper balcony. He was absentmindedly swirling his drink around in one hand and holding a piece of paper with the other. Link lead Fledge towards the staircase but pulled him aside at the foot.

"Well? Did you see him?" It was obvious to whom he was referring; there was no one else in the bar.

"Yeah, I saw him."

"What do you think? Is he cute?"

Fledge blushed. "He seemed okay. He was sitting down, so I couldn't really tell."

Link held Fledge out at arm's length and looked him over. Then he pulled the smaller boy's shirt down so that it hugged his hips, smoothed out the wrinkles around the shoulders, and then dropped to his knees, making Fledge blush much harder. From there, Link pulled the cuffs of his trousers down and straightened them out. After standing and sweeping his hair back so that it looked intentionally flyaway, Link was satisfied.

"Fledge, just keep in mind that nobody's pressuring you to do anything. I'll save the conversation if it gets stale, and we'll leave if it fizzles out. Are you ready?"

The smaller boy seemed nervous, but he nodded. "I never agreed to this."

Link pulled him into a hug. "This is my way of trying to make up for being such a dick to you the other night. Just trust me – I think you and Keet will get along really well." He refrained from mentioning that he also felt like he owed Keet a thank you for not being difficult about the situation with Pipit. "Alright, let's go."

Link lead the way to the table where Keet sat, reading the piece of paper in his hand. As they approached, he looked up and flashed a dazzlingly white smile.

Fledge sat down opposite Keet, and Link sat at the end of the table between the two. "Hey Keet. Sorry that we're late, but I sort of lost track of time… You know, just ensuring victory over an old enemy…" he said in deliberately airy voice. Fledge gave him a confused look. "Groose," Link confirmed. "Headmaster Gaepora has finally found proof that Groose did it." He tactfully avoided mentioning the details of the incident in front of Keet.

"What will happen to Groose?" Fledge wouldn't take his eyes off of Link, as though he was afraid to look at Keet.

"I don't know – we left before the fun started. But I hope that he'll be expelled. Headmaster Gaepora seems to think there's a chance he'll be arrested." Link let the conversation pause for a moment. "Anyway, we didn't come here to talk about Groose. I'm here to introduce you to Keet!"

Fledge anxiously met Keet's eye for a moment, blushed violently, and then stared into his lap, mumbling, "Hi."

Keet glanced at Link, his face skeptical but clearly amused by Fledge's discomfort. "Hi, Fledge. Link told me about you the other day." Fledge made a non-committal noise. "So… you're gay?"

Link snorted violently and nearly toppled off of his chair. Was this how people flirted? Keet was clearly trying not to laugh, but Fledge was thrown off by the question. However, Link noticed that he seemed to be so distracted by this new question that he was forgetting to be nervous about meeting Keet.

"Um – yeah? I mean, I only came out a few weeks ago, and it wasn't… well, not everyone knows."

"Right. You had a crush on Link, but for some reason he's smitten with Pipit, so you had to broaden your horizons."

Link could feel Fledge's embarrassment. The smaller boy turned to Link with a desperate plea for help in his eyes. He could only laugh. Keet got to the point. However, he'd gotten Fledge into this, so he would help him out. He knew that Fledge and Keet had a connection.

"Sorry, Keet, Fledge must still be a little sick. He flew here with me, but he doesn't like flying very much. You are very direct with your questions, though."

Keet winked. "That's my strategy. Nobody has time for sugar-coated bullshit." Keet turned back to Fledge. "Why did you fly here with Link? Do you have a Loftwing?"

Fledge looked up at Keet. "No. Most people meet their Loftwings when they are young, but I was raised away from all that. I came to the Knight Academy without a Loftwing, and it was already too late. None chose me, and it's set me back pretty far in terms of what I can do as a Knight. Cook, I guess. And worry – I'm good at worrying."

Smiling, Keet responded easily. "Well, that's good because I'm not good at worrying. I hate it. It does weird things to me when I worry about something. But it's cool that you don't have a Loftwing because I don't either."

Fledge was shocked. "What?"

"Yeah, I basically had the same problem. My family doesn't – er – live near Loftwings," Keet mumbled with half a glance over to Link, "So I never got one either. But I don't really need one. I borrow my Mom's when I need to, but I don't really like flying."

"I don't either!" Fledge continued to talk, but Link lost focus. He couldn't believe that anyone didn't have a Loftwing. He didn't know how he'd live without Crimson. His Loftwing was like an extension of his body, or a twin brother that he'd been close to since the day he'd been born. One of his earliest memories was his first flight alone atop Crimson, and that had been when he was just four years old.

Of course, at the Knight Academy, everyone had a Loftwing except for Fledge, and Link had always thought of him as the exception. Now that he thought about it, though, he'd met other people who never rode Loftwings. He'd just met Darius earlier, and he had said that he wasn't comfortable on a Loftwing because of his size. Now he'd found out that Keet didn't fly…

Link tuned back into the conversation as they were talking about their families back home. Keet generally avoided describing the squalor of his home by saying that his family lived far away where resources were sparse. He made them sound practically heroic as he described their spirit as they pioneered through harsh summers and freezing winters with little to eat, and Fledge was enamored with the story, never once taking his eyes off of Keet. Link knew that he had been right all along.

He made to excuse himself. "You two seem happy here, so I'll just be going now. Fledge, I'll send Crimson back when I get to Skyloft and he can take you back later, alright?"

Fledge hardly heard a word and continued to stare at Keet.

"Oh, Link! I want you to have this. Pipit's Loftwing delivered it to me this morning, and I thought you should read it. I don't really need it anymore, so take it." There was spite in his tone, but it was faded. Keet held out the piece of paper he had been reading earlier. Link took it, said his goodbyes, and walked down the staircase and out of the pub.

Once outside, he sat on a bench to the side of the door and unfolded the paper. Written on it was a short letter.

_Keet,_

_I know that things have been rocky between us lately, and I wanted to apologize one last time for everything that's been going on. I never should have cheated on Karane in the first place, but thank you for being there when I needed you. My real mistake, however, was allowing you to interfere with my true love. You helped give me the courage to say that I was gay, and you ushered me into a new chapter of my life, but there's more to being gay that having relations with another man. I've been confused for the last few days, but my position is now clear. I cannot be defined by my sexuality, or the need to have sex with men, in the way that you are defined. _

_My heart lies with Link, and it is him to whom I will return when all is said and done. You may have opened my eyes to a new way of life, but Link took my hand and showed me where to step. What we shared was at once intensely pleasurable and extremely unhealthy, but that was all I knew about being gay. Link showed me that "being gay" wasn't what mattered. What Link and I share isn't unhealthy or manipulative – it is love in its purest form. I was a fool for not seeing that before, but now I will make sure to not repeat my mistake. As I grow, experience, and change, I realize that I need a guide who will nurture and support me. I need someone who I can depend upon to make me feel loved and wanted. You can try to spin it however you like, but it was you who used me for sex, Keet. Link has shown nothing but simple love and devotion, and it is clear which of the two choices is best._

_I do not blame you for anything that has happened. I blame myself. But I hope that you will see as I do that my choice is clear. I know things will work out for you, Keet. One day, you will find a man who is perfect. You'll look back, remember me, and laugh at yourself._

_I hope we can be friends after this, and I hope that you don't take this as a personal attack. My heart simply belongs with Link, and that's where I choose to stay. All that remains for me now is to prove to him that my love is eternal._

_With all of the blessings in the world,_

_Pipit_

Link wiped a tear from his eyes as his face split into the widest smile he had worn in days. He tucked the letter into his back pocket, touched by the tenderness of Pipit's words. He walked away from the Lumpy Pumpkin knowing that he'd left Keet in good hands.

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Author's Note: So Groose gets SERVED, Fleet happens, and Link still loves Pipit after all. Only one more chapter to go! I CAN HARDLY WAIT! Please be sure to leave a review telling me what you liked or didn't like – each one I receive makes me smile! Oh, and BE SURE to favorite and follow so that you don't miss the epic conclusion!


	11. Make Us So Perfect

Author's Note: I'll try not to cry as this, the last chapter, is posted. I should tell you that this chapter contains some saucy, M-rated Pipink action, so if you're under eighteen I'm supposed to say to not read this chapter. Anyway, I know many of you have likely been following this story simply because you've hoped for lemons, and now here they are. Please enjoy!

* * *

"_Perhaps it is our imperfections that make us so perfect for one another." _– Jane Austen

* * *

Link flew back to Skyloft in a daze. The words Pipit had written in his letter to Keet were swimming across his vision, and he blinked repeatedly to clear his head. Phrases like _my heart lies with Link_ and _my love is eternal_ kept buzzing through his ears as though Pipit was beside him, whispering to him lovingly.

The sun was beginning to set and the sky was an explosion of colors, and Link gazed upwards dreamily, drinking it in. Crimson drifted lazily towards the island and Link relaxed, enjoying the feeling of the wind in his hair.

Crimson dropped him in a wooded area in a secluded part of the island, and he landed easily on the shores of a small stream. He followed it and found himself approaching the Statue of the Goddess. He looked up at her and he suddenly realized just how beautiful she was. The setting sun struck her face, giving her a golden glow and contrasting her against the deep blue of the darkening sky.

After closing his eyes for a moment out of respect, he turned away and walked to the Knight Academy.

As he approached the dorms, Zelda came running towards him. "Oh, thank the Goddess! I was about to fly to the Lumpy Pumpkin, and then who knows how long it would have taken to find you! You'd better come quickly, Link! Groose told Daddy something about you beating him up, and Daddy's furious. You didn't do that, did you?"

Link smiled mischievously, and Zelda gasped. "Link!" she admonished, sounding thoroughly distressed, "Daddy worked very hard to prove that Groose beat Fledge up, and you pay him back by doing the same thing!"

"Relax, Zelda. I hardly beat him up. I just kicked him in the balls and maybe landed a few punches. He's probably told some overblown story to try to get me in trouble. And anyway, what's the worst that's going to happen? I'll be put on probation."

Zelda rolled her eyes. "Yeah – which means you'll have a curfew, you'll have to attend weekend classes, and you'll be forbidden from riding your Loftwing."

"Would you just relax, please?"

Rolling her eyes again, she grabbed his arm. "Come on, you have to come see Daddy right now." They walked towards the Knight Academy school building, and Zelda continued to make noises of outrage which Link ignored. "I don't know what would have happened if I hadn't found you so soon – he thinks you left quickly because you knew that you'd get into trouble."

A few minutes later, they had arrived at Headmaster Gaepora's office. Zelda opened the door and pushed him inside, remaining in the hallway as she closed the door behind him. Headmaster Gaepora was sitting behind his desk, staring out of the window on the back wall of the office. After a moment, he turned around, glaring at Link with barely concealed anger. "So… you decided you'd face up to your mistake at last. Thought you'd run off and prolong the punishment?"

"No, Sir," Link mumbled nervously, "I had to take a friend to Pumpkin Landing."

Headmaster Gaepora gasped dramatically. "Oh, but of course. Lord Link, the sublime student of Skyloft Knight Academy, didn't need to wait for his punishment. He doesn't ever do anything wrong, so why would there be a need for discipline?"

Link decided to play dumb. "Sir?"

"Don't 'sir' me. You know what I'm talking about. You know why you're here. Did you or did you not beat Groose up earlier today?"

Biting his lip, Link took a moment to think about his answer. Though he didn't want to lie outright, he didn't mind sugar coating his story to get him off with a lesser punishment. "Well, I definitely wouldn't say that I beat him up, per say…"

Headmaster Gaepora rolled his eyes. Link had never been on the receiving end of such anger from the Headmaster before, and had o admit that it was very intimidating. "Do you deny having used violence against Groose?"

Link sighed. "No, I do not."

The Headmaster sat back in his chair, surveying Link with disappointment. Link kept his eyes on his knees, trying to ignore the growing shame he felt. He knew what was coming, but giving Groose a good punch in the face had been worth it. Headmaster Gaepora shifted in his seat.

"Why did you do this?"

Link looked Headmaster Gaepora in the eye. "You know why." Gaepora cocked an eyebrow. "I punched him in the face because he beat my friend to a bloody pulp. An eye for an eye, you know."

"Yes. That situation has been taken care of. Link, I'm afraid that, as admirable as your intentions were, you still must be punished according to the severity of your misconduct." He picked up a form from his desk. "This degree of unprompted violence could result in your expulsion from the Academy, but, for the moment, you will be placed on probation, effective immediately and terminating at the council's discretion, and will serve a Saturday detention from nine to five."

"I understand."

Headmaster Gaepora continued to look over Link with disappointment. "Link, you are an excellent student, but what keeps you from fully embodying a Knight is your hot head. Groose has been punished severely for his transgression. As badly as you had wanted to punch him, you should have refrained. It was unnecessary, and has now resulted in punishment. Ask yourself this, Link: was it really worth it?"

Link held his tongue and stared at his hands, which were folded in his lap. Headmaster Gaepora sighed and waved his hand dismissively. "You may go, Link. And be sure to be at school tomorrow."

"Yes, Sir. Of course, Sir. Thank you, Sir."

Link rose and left the office. He should have been expecting that, especially after he saw Groose in the Headmaster's office. Groose would have done anything to shift the focus from his own punishment, especially if it meant getting Link into trouble as well.

He turned the corner and nearly ran into Zelda, who was pacing nervously. As soon as she saw him, she threw her arms around him. "Was it too bad?"

"Nah, just what I expected. Probation and a Saturday detention. He said that I could have been expelled, though, so it definitely could have been worse."

Zelda walked with Link back to his room. He wasn't very tired, but he didn't feel like talking to people. His punishment was like a weight that had settled in the bottom of his stomach. Not that he was worried about expulsion. He wasn't normally a bad student. And it wasn't like his parents would be disappointed in him, because he didn't have any. It was simply the first time he'd ever been punished more severely than a simple after school detention.

He sat on his bed for a while, feeling restless, but eventually sunk into a deep, dreamless sleep.

The following morning, Link woke up early and was ready to go before his alarm went off, which had never happened before. He waited outside Zelda's dorm for twenty minutes and then met her as she came out with Piper. They both were stunned to see Link looking so awake before school had begun, but neither said anything.

His first class passed without incident, but as he and Zelda entered their second classroom, he stopped in surprise. Pipit was sitting in his normal desk, staring glumly at the wall. His eye's met Link's for a fraction of a second, and he scooted his desk ever so slightly to the side.

Link glanced at Zelda and then sat down beside Pipit without saying a word. They passed the lesson like this, neither speaking nor moving so as to avoid attracting attention to themselves. Link never once turned around to talk to Zelda, and she and Piper were just as quiet. As the lesson came to an end and the bell rang, Pipit rose instantly and left, despite the fact and he and Link shared the next class.

For the rest of the day, Link and Pipit sat side by side in utter silence. As excruciatingly awkward as it was, it made Link miss Pipit. They usually were inseparable, and would talk to each other constantly through their lessons. Without Pipit to talk to, the minutes were made of hours.

Lunch was an uncomfortable affair. Link and Pipit walked side by side from their Combat Skills class and sat down side by side at the table. Zelda was sitting beside Fledge, and Piper and Fado were across from them. Fledge looked happier than Link had ever seen him. He was leaning back in his chair, grinning dreamily and staring at the ceiling. When Link and Pipit sat down, Pipit immediately folded his arms on the table and buried his head. Zelda nodded at Link, but nobody at the table spoke for a moment.

"Hi Fledge. You look happy."

"Hm? Oh, yeah."

Link smirked. "So… what happened with you-know-who last night, huh? You two seemed to hit it off pretty well. Are you like a thing now?"

Fledge glanced over at him. "I don't know yet. Thanks for introducing us though, Link."

"Don't worry about. You two are cute together." With that, the conversation once again fizzled out, and they spent the rest of the lunch period offhandedly exchanging remarks before lapsing back into silence. It was a welcome relief when lunch ended and they went to their next class.

Link had most of his remaining classes with Pipit, and as such spent them staring at the walls drowning in sheer boredom. Once or twice, he though Pipit would speak to him; the other boy would turn to him as if to say something, but would then turn away. He was silently pleading with Pipit to strike up a conversation that would break the wall of ice that separated them.

Pipit wasn't in their last class, however, and Link was finally able to talk to Zelda. "So how did it go with Keet and Fledge? You never said, and I didn't want to ask about it at lunch with Pipit right there."

"Oh they totally hit it off. Fledge was awkward about it at first, as you would expect, but they bonded because apparently neither of them ride Loftwings. They started talking and talking, and I left after a few minutes." Link didn't mention the letter Keet had given him.

Zelda was amazed. "Wow. How far do you think they went?"

"I hope they didn't go too far. I mean, I hope Keet doesn't abuse Fledge's innocence. I mean, I know Fledge can handle himself, but he's not really a match for Keet in terms of maturity. It's a shame I wasn't paying attention to when Crimson came back last night, or I would have known how long they were together."

At the end of the school day, Link made his way back to the dorms by himself. When he opened his door, he froze in his tracks.

His room was covered in muffins.

Literally every surface in his bedroom was covered in muffins. There was the perfect amount of space for the door to swing open, but otherwise the floor was a carpet of muffins with pink icing and small red hearts sprinkled on top. They coated his desk, were perched precariously atop his lamp, and even his bed was lost beneath the sea of baked goods.

He turned around and immediately noticed the red rose that was lying at his feet on the floor. In fact, he noticed a trail of them leading down the hall and out of sight. They definitely hadn't been there a minute ago when he'd approached his room.

He closed the door behind him and followed the trail of flowers through the dorm building. They lead past the double doors and outside towards the edge of the island.

There, he found a blindfold and a note that said _"Wear this and jump."_ Link hesitated for a few moments, but Crimson flew past and cawed reassuringly. He shrugged and slipped the blindfold on before stepping over the edge. He was so familiar with mounting Crimson that he could do it easily while blindfolded, and as soon as he felt his Loftwing beneath him he had climbed into the saddle and they were off.

Try as he might, Link couldn't follow where they were going, but they hadn't been flying for long when Crimson went into a steady dive and then spread his wings to prepare for landing. Crimson immediately sank into a crouch, and Link instinctively slid off. He felt a firm hand on his shoulder, and the blindfold was lifted from his eyes.

The first thing he noticed was the blazing sunset that illuminated the Statue of the Goddess.

The sky was a cacophony of colors, from deep streaks of purple to light splashes of dappled pinks and oranges. The face of the Goddess was lit in the heavenly light, and her eyes came to life as she smiled down at him.

The next thing he noticed was Pipit, his face full of concern, holding his hand to his chest.

"Hi, Link," he said nervously.

"Pipit, what's going on?"

Pipit looked around nervously before leading Link to a bench at the side of the statue. "Pipit, why didn't you talk to me at all today at school?"

They sat down on the bench, sunlight shining from Pipit's face, and he took Link's hands in his own. "Link, I've been doing a lot of thinking since Saturday night, and I'm still not sure how to make you believe that I love you, but I can't just sit in my room forever and wait for this to sort itself out. I don't know how good I am at being romantic, but I'm giving it my best shot. I remember you saying you liked muffins, so I had those made for you."

Pipit lifted Link's face by the chin and pulled him into the deepest, most passionate kiss they'd ever shared. It was slow, and Link melted into Pipit's body until they were intertwined on the bench. Link ran his fingers slowly through Pipit's hair as the warmth of his mouth sent a current through his body.

Their kiss ended softly, and Pipit stood up.

"Link, let me take this opportunity to apologize for everything that I've put you through in the last few days. Ever since I've known you, I've always felt like we've had something special. I remember the day I first met you. I was mortified because the teacher gave us assigned seats, and I didn't know anyone at the school, but you turned to me and asked if you could borrow a pen to write your name on your folder, and it was the beginning of an amazing, beautiful and eternal relationship.

"When you fell in love with Nico, I was jealous. I think that was the seed of my own doubts in my heterosexuality. I saw you spending more and more time with him, and we were together less and less. When he left you, it broke my heart to see you so upset, and I remember thinking that I could treat you better. I know you still think about him, but I want to make all of those painful memories go away.

"Link, the time I've spent with you over the last two weeks has been the best time of my life, and I never wanted it to end. I didn't know what to do about Keet, but it was wrong of me to lie to you about it. The only thing I know at this point is that I want to spend the rest of my life with you. You make me happier than I've ever felt before, and when I thought I'd lost you on Saturday night I didn't know what to do. Link, I give you this as a promise to you that I will love you with all of my heart for as long as I will live."

Pipit sat back down next to Link and pulled a ring from his pocket. It was a simple silver band that was engraved with a series of symbols that Link recognized as the ancient written language of the Sacred Realm.

"Professor Horwell wrote them out for me. They say _the flame of love will burn forever_." Pipit looked at him anxiously. Link didn't know what to say. A tear fell down his cheek. "Can I put it on you?"

Link nodded. Pipit took his right hand and slipped the ring onto his ring finger. They both had tears in their eyes, but Pipit pulled Link up into a kiss.

Link paused momentarily. "I love you so much."

Pipit smiled in relief. "I love you too."

They kissed again, and Pipit sat on the bench, pulling Link on top of him. Link's body was on fire, and all of his senses were on full overload. He could feel the muscles rippling beneath Pipit's skin, and in no time he was tugging Pipit's shirt over his head and throwing on the ground beside them.

Hands tugged at the hem of Link's shirt, and he stopped the kiss with a grin. "Maybe we should reconvene somewhere else?"

Pipit kissed him again. "How does my room sound?"

"Let's go."

Giggling, Link grabbed Pipit's shirt and ran. "If you want your shirt back, it's going to cost you!" he called back over his shoulder.

"I think I can cover the price," Pipit said with a sly wink. The two made their way back to the dorms as the sun sank beneath the horizon

Pipit's room was much cleaner than it had been the last time Link had seen it, but he didn't have much of a chance to notice because as soon as the door closed behind them Pipit pushed him against the wall and kissed him furiously. Link's shirt was on the floor in an instant, and their shoes and socks soon followed.

Link forcefully turned and pushed Pipit against the wall before sinking to his knees and pulling Pipit's pants down to expose his already stiff cock. Link ran his hands down the other boy's taught muscles before taking Pipit's gorgeous cock into his mouth. Pipit moaned as Link's tongue ran up and down the length of his staff, dancing across the head and swirling his balls around sensually. His fingers raked through Link's hair and he began to thrust his hips into the other boy's mouth. Link slurped unattractively, making Pipit laugh and slide to the floor.

Laughing too, Link crawled forward and kissed Pipit deeply. The other boy could taste himself on Link's tongue, and Link's hand continued to absently play with his balls. After a moment, Link stood and pulled Pipit up with him. From there, he tore his pants off, exposing his bulging cock.

"Holy shit, Link. Your dick is the most beautiful thing I've ever seen."

He laughed again. "Thanks. I work on it."

"Maybe you could work on mine some time?"

"How does right now sound?"

Pipit looked jokingly at the calendar on his desk. "I think I'm free."

Link eased back onto Pipit's bed, and Pipit trailed his tongue along the underside of his cock slowly, making Link shiver and whimper. Pipit slid two fingers into Link's mouth and began frantically sucking as his cock while running his other hand over Link's stomach. Link bit down on Pipit's finger, making him groan and crawl forward to kiss the boy beneath him.

Pipit enveloped Link in a deep kiss, tentatively moving his hands towards Link's hole. He slowly pushed in one finger, wincing as Link's face contorted into a grimace. However, after exhaling deeply, Link moaned. "More, Pipit." Pipit grinned and kissed him again, adding another finger. Groaning, Link ran his hands over the other boy's chest. "I want you to fuck me, Pipit."

Hesitating, Pipit asked, "Are you sure?"

Link nodded, so Pipit pulled a bottle of lubrication from his nightstand and lathered it along his stiff cock. He positioned his dick over Link's hole and slowly pushed it in. Link gasped. It was painful, but not like he remembered and was expecting. He allowed himself to focus solely on the boy atop him as Pipit's dick entered his hole.

Whimpering, Link pulled Pipit into another kiss. Pipit pushed into him slowly. "Does that feel okay?" he asked nervously.

"Pipit, that feels amazing."

Pipit began thrusting, starting out with a slow, gentle rhythm. "Does that still feel okay?" Link nodded, and Pipit began to thrust faster. His hand found Link's twitching cock and slowly began to pump it in time with his thrusts. Link moaned carnally as his fingers clenched around the bed sheets. Pipit echoed his moan and quickened his thrusts further.

Link dug his fingernails into Pipit's back, overwhelmed with pleasure. "Oh Goddess! Pipit, I love you so much! That feels so fucking good! Oh Goddess, fuck me Pipit!" Pipit's thrusts came faster and faster still, and Link screamed in pleasure as his dick exploded and he came all over his chest and Pipit's stomach. Pipit released a deep, guttural growl and pulled his dick out of Link at the last moment. He came all over Link's stomach and chest, allowing his own come to mingle with Link's.

He let his tongue flicker over Link's chest while pumping the other boy's dick, and then they shared a passionate kiss.

Pipit collapsed beside him on the bed, sweating and panting. "That was intense."

"I have so much to tell Zelda."

After a moment, they collapsed into laughter.

"I love you, Link."

"I love you too, Pipit."

That was all they needed to say. Link curled on his side, and Pipit wrapped his body around the smaller boy's. As Link drifted off to sleep, he heard Pipit mutter again, "I love you." He smiled, thinking that he could spend the rest of his life in Pipit's arms.

* * *

Author's Note: OKAY! So, a few notes – firstly, I know I left many storylines very open instead of tying them up in an epilogue as was my original plan. THIS WAS INTENTIONAL because I am becoming more keen on the idea of writing a sequel (and possibly a prequel involving Nico). These storylines include Fado and Piper (though Fiper was only mentioned once or twice), Groose, Zelda (I mean, she doesn't actually do much in this story), Peatrice and Karane, and, of course, Fleet – though a fan in a review mentioned the possibility of a short spinoff dedicated to Fleet and I must say that sounds like a lot of fun. I might work on that during the upcoming Christmas holidays if I'm not too busy.

Secondly – an enormous thank you to EVERYONE who reviewed! I'm so amazed that so many people enjoyed this story and have given me continual support. I try to respond to every review, but I'm sorry if I missed one or two! Speaking of reviews – please leave one for this chapter (especially if you haven't reviewed so far) to tell me your thoughts! Make sure to favorite this story if you love it, and please follow me if you're interested in receiving updates about my future Pipink stories (and yes it is Pipink, not PipLink, and yes, I will argue about this).

Once again, thank you for reading! I hoped you enjoyed this story as much as I did!


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